There were no winners in the latest dispute that took place last week at the Fredonia Village Board meeting. Attorney Dan Gard, who is not elected, took the stage so to speak to blast both Trustees Roger Britz and Doug Essek.

Gard wanted to publicly let residents know on July 29 that Britz was out of line in a workplace dispute from the spring and that Essek was not properly informing residents regarding his criticisms in the hiring of the fire chief. What he was saying may have been ultimately correct, but it was still wrong.

Municipal attorneys, for the most part, are paid to offer guidance to the elected officials, not to call them out. Gard likely took the job as village attorney for Fredonia when many did not want it due to the board’s knack for being downright dysfunctional.

His actions did nothing to change the government’s reputation on that evening.