Wood County Commission discusses issue, DOGE
By Evan Bevins and Brett Dunlap, Parkersburg News and Sentinel
PARKERSBURG, W.Va. — A local member of the Constitution Party of West Virginia said that group opposes the dismissal of 80 probationary employees at the federal Bureau of the Fiscal Service and questions the manner in which those and other staffing reductions are being handled.
“We strongly oppose the recent job losses (in) the federal government, especially here in Parkersburg and Wood County,” said Chad Conley, a spokesman for the party and former Wood County Board of Education candidate. “We know how negative an impact it’s going to have” on the community.
President Donald Trump’s administration has been working to overhaul and reduce the size of the federal government, efforts led by the president’s newly created Department of Government Efficiency and spearheaded by adviser Elon Musk. Among the initiatives was the termination of many probationary employees, generally those within the first two years of federal employment.
Last week, 80 probationary employees were let go from the Bureau of the Fiscal Service offices in Parkersburg, according to an official with the union representing some employees of the agency. Approximately 2,200 people work for the agency here, local officials have said.
