County DPW chief's job status uncertain after DWI conviction

QUEENSBURY | Whether Jeffrey E. Tennyson will keep his job as Warren County Superintendent of Public Works remains questionable, following his guilty plea to a misdemeanor charge of driving while intoxicated, stemming from his Jan. 28 arrest in Glens Falls. Tennyson, 45, had initially been charged with Aggravated DWI as well as Driving While Intoxicated after his blood-alcohol content level tested at 0.24 percent, three times the 008 percent threshold of legal intoxication. Acting Warren County Administrator Kevin Geraghty confirmed the guilty plea Sunday, although he said he had no comment on Tennyson's future in county government. The Post-Star reported this week, however, that county supervisors were trying to work out a separation agreement that would cover details of him leaving his position. Tennyson was sentenced to a one-year conditional discharge, and is to pay a $500 fine and a $395 state surcharge. His driver's license was suspended, but he could be granted a restricted license that allows him to drive to work and back. Authorities said Tennyson was apprehended after Glens Falls police officers saw him drive into a curb on Broad Street in the early morning of Jan. 28. Tennyson is now suspended without pay, although in the initial week after his arrest, he remained on the payroll. On March 1, the county board of supervisors' personnel committee went behind closed doors and discussed his status with the county. Geraghty said Sunday the county's labor attorney has been discussing the matter with Tennyson's lawyer, because although Tennyson is not covered by the state's civil service laws for rank-and-file employees, DPW posts are subject to the state's highway laws. Assistant Public Works Superintendent Kevin Hajos is presently overseeing the county's Department of Public Works while the status of Tennyson's employment is resolved. Tennyson was appointed Superintendent of Public Works in 2010. The position's salary was $105,721 as of 2017. He is a certified engineer who has worked for the county since 2007. Tennyson is a Major in the U.S. Army Reserves; he served a tour in Iraq prior to his employment as county DPW chief.

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County DPW chief's job status uncertain after DWI conviction

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