OSSIPEE — Carroll County government is being sued by its former chief financial officer for breach of contract, breach of good faith and fair dealings as well as defamation. She seeks damages and attorney’s fees.
Bonnie Batchelder, founder of Batcheler Associates, became the contracted assessor for the county in 2021. Her contract was extended twice and was to end in 2027.
kAm$96 C6D:8?65 :? y2?F2CJ 27E6C 4=2D9:?8 H:E9 4@F?EJ 4@>>:DD:@?6CD] ~? yF=J b[ q2E496=56C DF65 E96 4@F?EJ :? r2CC@== r@F?EJ $FA6C:@C r@FCE] $96 :D C6AC6D6?E65 3J %6CC: !2DE@C: 2?5 #@3:? |6=@?6 @7 !2E@C: zC2?D !{{r :? r@?4@C5]k^Am
kAmq2E496=56C 92D F?E:= pF8] ab E@ D6CG6 E96 =2HDF:E] %96 4@F?EJ 92D b_ 52JD 7C@> D6CG:46 E@ C6DA@?5] $96 56>2?5D 2 ;FCJ EC:2=]k^Am
kAm“x? 72== a_ac[ r@F?EJ r@>>:DD:@?6CD Wr9F4<X |4v66 2?5 Ww2C@=5X !2C<6C[ 2?5 E96 4@F?EJ’D tI64FE:G6 r@@C5:?2E@C |6==:D2 $62>2?D W“$62>2?D”X 4@>>6?465 2 42>A2:8? E@ 7CFDEC2E6[ :>A656 2?5 E9H2CE q@??:6’D 23:=:EJ E@ A6C7@C> F?56C E96 4@?EC24E H:E9 E96 4@F?EJ[ 9@A:?8 E@ 7@C46 q@??:6 @FE[” q2E496=56C’D =2HDF:E DE2E6D[ 255:?8 E92E D96 E@@< :DDF6 H:E9 4@>>:DD:@?6CD’ 564:D:@? E@ AFE $62>2?D :? 492C86 @7 E96 7:?2?46 56A2CE>6?E]k^Am
kAm“~? y2?] ah[ a_ad[ q@??:6 ?@E:7:65 E96 4@F?EJ :E 925 3C624965 E96 4@?EC24E[ C6D:8?65 96C A@D:E:@? 67764E:G6 :>>65:2E6=J 2?5 D2:5 D96 4@F=5 ?@E C6EFC? E@ E96 4@F?EJ 3642FD6 @7 E96 9@DE:=:EJ D96 925 6IA6C:6?465[” :E D2JD]k^Am
kAm%96 =2HDF:E 4@?E:?F6D[ “%96 4@F?EJ :>>65:2E6=J DE2CE65 25G2?4:?8 2 72=D6 ?2CC2E:G6 >2=:8?:?8 q@??:6 2D 2 325 24E@C] (96? q@??:6 @3;64E65 E@ E96 4@F?EJ’D AF3=:4 >:DC6AC6D6?E2E:@?D[ E96 4@F?EJ 5@F3=65 5@H? 2?5 :?E6?D:7:65 :ED D>62C 42>A2:8?]”k^Am
kAmpD<65 7@C 4@>>6?E[ |4v66 C6A=:65 :? 2 E6IE @? %F6D52J[ H9:49 D2:5i “#6i q@??:6 q2E496=56C] (6’C6 C6D6CG:?8 4@>>6?E 2E E9:D E:>6] w@H6G6C[ :7 J@F :?E6?5 E@ 5@ 2 DE@CJ[ A=62D6 :?4=F56 E96 7@==@H:?8 724EDi `] q2E496=56C H2D 2 4@?EC24E@C[ ?@E 6>A=@J66] a] w6C 4@?EC24E 42==65 7@C 96C E@ 8:G6 E96 4@F?EJ h_ 52JD ?@E:46 :7 D96 564:565 E@ BF:E] $96 5:5 ?@E] pE ?@ E:>6 H2D D96 2D<65 @C E@=5 E@ =62G6] c] pE ?@ E:>6 H2D D96 “E9C62E6?65[” 6:E96C G6C32==J @C E9C@F89 HC:EE6? 4@>>F?:42E:@?D] d] $96 92D J6E E@ AC@G:56 2?J AC@@7 @7 96C 2==682E:@?D]”k^Am
kAmx? 96C =2HDF:E[ q2E496=56C 4=2:>D $62>2?D =62<65 :?7@C>2E:@? C682C5:?8 2 ?@?\AF3=:4 D6DD:@? E@ 7C24EFC6 E96 C6=2E:@?D9:A q2E496=56C 925 H:E9 ;2:= $FA6C:?E6?56?E qC:2? z:?8 2?5 r@F?EJ pEE@C?6J z6:E9 q=2:C] $A64:7:42==J[ q2E496=56C 925 2 4@?46C? E92E E96 ;2:= 925 E9C66 >@C6 A@D:E:@?D E92? :E H2D 3F586E65 7@C 2?5 E92E E96 4@F?EJ 2EE@C?6J’D @77:46 925 9:C65 2 56AFEJ 4@F?EJ 2EE@C?6J H:E9@FE 4@>>:DD:@?6CD’ 2AAC@G2=]k^Am
kAmq2E496=56C C6A@CE65 92G:?8 2 “962E65” >66E:?8 H:E9 q=2:C @? y2?] ab] $96 D2:5 96 “C2:D65 9:D G@:46” 2?5 =67E 96C “D92<6? 2?5 5:DEC2F89E]”k^Am
kAm(96? |4v66 W#\|@F=E@?3@C@F89X 2?5 !2C<6C W#\(@=763@C@X G@E65 E@ AFE $62>2?D :? 492C86 @7 E96 7:?2?46 56A2CE>6?E[ E96J “8FEE65” E96 4@?EC24E E96 4@F?EJ 925 H:E9 q2E496=56C[ DE2E6D E96 DF:E] u@C :?DE2?46[ q2E496=56C H2D ?@ =@?86C 23=6 E@ DA62< 5:C64E=J H:E9 56A2CE>6?E 9625D @C 4@>>:DD:@?6CD]k^Am
kAm“%96:C 24E:@?D H6C6 4=62C=J 56D:8?65 E@ 9F>:=:2E6 q@??:6 2?5 >2<6 :E :>A@DD:3=6 7@C 96C E@ A6C7@C> F?56C E96 4@?EC24E[” DE2E6D E96 =2HDF:E] “%96D6 G@E6D H6C6 2 42=4F=2E65 6D42=2E:@? :? 2 4@@C5:?2E65[ J62C=@?8 A2EE6C? @7 9@DE:=:EJ[ 4@?EC24EF2= :?E6C76C6?46 2?5 ?@?\4@@A6C2E:@? :?E6?565 E@ 3F==J q@??:6 2?5 7@C46 96C E@ BF:E]”k^Am
kAmx? |2C49[ E96 56=682E:@? W`d DE2E6 C6AC6D6?E2E:G6D H9@ A2DD 4@F?EJ 3F586EDX[ 7@C>65 2 4@>>:EE66 E@ :?G6DE:82E6 4@>>:DD:@?6CD’ 562=:?8D H:E9 q2E496=56C]k^Am
kAm|4v66 2?5 !2C<6C 5:5 E96:C @H? :?G6DE:82E:@?[ H9:49 A=2465 3=2>6 @? q2E496=56C 7@C 72:=:?8 E@ >66E 7:?2?4:2= 5625=:?6D[ :?E6C76C:?8 H:E9 A2JC@==[ 42FD:?8 56=2JD 2?5 6D42=2E:?8 4@DED @7 E96 2??6I 4@?DECF4E:@? AC@;64E[ 2>@?8 @E96C 4@>A=2:?ED]k^Am
kAm~7 E9@D6 :DDF6D[ q2E496=56C’D =2HDF:E[ DE2E6D[ “%96 4@F?EJ 92D HC:EE6? 2?5 AF3=:D965 G@=F>6D @7 7:4E:@? E@ 4@G6C :ED >:D5665D 2?5 >:DEC62E>6?E @7 q@??:6]”k^Am
kAm$62>2?D 92D 2==6865 E96 56=682E:@? 92D 2=D@ EC62E65 96C W$62>2?DX H:E9 2 “5:DE:?4E =24< @7 C6DA64E” D:?46 E96 4@?7=:4E @G6C q2E496=56C 6>6C865]k^Am
kAm{2E6 =2DE 72==[ E96C6 H2D 2 5FDE\FA 36EH66? 4@>>:DD:@?6CD H96? q2E496=56C’D E:E=6 H2D 3C:67=J 492?865 7C@> ru~ E@ r~~ @? }@G] a` F?56C >JDE6C:@FD 4:C4F>DE2?46D]k^Am
kAm%96 492?86 H2D >256 3J E96? 4@>>:DD:@?6CD %6CCJ |4r2CE9J W#\r@?H2JX 2?5 q:== }6=D@? W#\qC@@<7:6=5X] %96 =2HDF:E ?@E6D E92E |4v66 925 2 “E2?ECF>” 23@FE E96 E:E=6 492?86] pE E96 E:>6 :E H2D F?4=62C H9J E96 E:E=6 492?86 H2D >256[ 3FE E96 =2HDF:E D965D D@>6 =:89E @? E96 D:EF2E:@?]k^Am
kAm“x? }@G6>36C @7 a_ac[ |4r2CE9J :56?E:7:65 2 A@DD:3=6 D@=FE:@? E@ DE6> $62>2?D’ :?E6C76C6?46[” D2:5 E96 =2HDF:E] “$96 AFE 7@CE9 2 >@E:@? E@ 492?86 q@??:6’D E:E=6 7C@> ru~ E@ r9:67 ~A6C2E:?8 ~77:46C W“r~~”X[ E96 :?E6?E:@? 36:?8 E@ 8:G6 q@??:6 E96 F?76EE6C65 2446DD E@ :?7@C>2E:@? D96 ?66565 E@ 7F=7:== 96C 5FE:6D]”k^Am
kAm%96? @? s64] h[ |4r2CE9J 2?5 }6=D@? G@E65 E@ 492?86 E96 E:E=6 324<] }6=D@? “324<A652=65” 5F6 E@ AC6DDFC6 7C@> |4v66[ E96 =2HDF:E DE2E6D]k^Am

(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.