In February, the Snyder County commissioners voted 2-1 to fire the county’s emergency management agency’s director, Dave Nichols. The board also voted unanimously to fire first deputy EMA director William Michaels. The actions took place in a public meeting — albeit, after a lengthy closed-door session in which the merits of the moves were debated. The commissioners said Michaels was fired because of “improper expenditure of county money and disposal of county property,” while Nichols was let go due to concerns about his “management style.”

The commissioners took the privacy concerns of its employees into consideration by deliberating behind closed doors, while satisfying the public’s right to know by taking action (and explaining those actions) in an open meeting.

Then there is Northumberland County — where the commissioners insist on using practices so hidden from view that Frank Sawicki, the chairman of the board of commissioners, said Wednesday he did not know whether a former employee was fired or resigned. Sawicki said he was out of town when the personnel move was made and change-of-status paperwork had yet to reach his desk. If nothing else, conducting business in a public meeting would ensure that the chairman of the board knows what transpired.

The other two commissioners — Vinny Clausi and Kurt Masser — declined to comment on assessor Mike Diehl’s departure at all. The closest thing to an explanation offered to voters came from chief clerk Rose Marquardt. “The commissioners want the (assessment office) to go in a different direction,” she said.

The move did not come out of the blue. A month ago, assessment staff scrambled to quickly process more than 300 applications for farmstead property tax relief. Many taxpayers might appreciate the move if Diehl’s departure stemmed from that debacle.

What is the point of shielding the public from personnel moves? The county commissioners may have squandered an opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to accountability from government employees. Elected officials are accountable, as well. Taxpayers foot the bill and deserve to know when and why personnel moves are made. Northumberland County commissioners ought to open up — with each other and taxpayers.