Step back before making judgment

Let’s wait and see.

That’s the best course of action in the wake of the news that Portland Mayor Randy Geesaman made a hash of his volunteer job as treasurer of the Jay County Democratic Party.

The books — such as they are — were apparently a mess. Checks were lost. Funds were co-mingled. And a financial review is underway.

It’s all incredibly embarrassing for Mayor Geesaman. But those rushing to judgment or calling upon the mayor to resign need to calm down, take a step back and wait until things are completely sorted out.

The mayor was correct — in our opinion — not to yield to calls for his resignation. Those seem to have come primarily from party factions that have their own self-serving agendas.

So far, none of the fiscal sloppiness involves public funds. And — so far — this seems to be a case of misfeasance rather than malfeasance. In other words, it seems to be a matter of fiscal incompetence rather than fiscal criminality.

But again, the best advice is to wait and see.

This isn’t the first time the mayor has found himself in a financially embarrassing situation. Several years ago, before he was in public office, he ended up in small claims court and bounced a check. To his credit, he fessed up to those mistakes and took his lumps.

That couldn’t have been easy.

And it can’t be easy to go into the office of the mayor every day knowing that there’s a cloud over your head, knowing that people have questions and knowing that they’re disappointed.

But at this point, that’s the course of action Mayor Geesaman has chosen. And at the very least he deserves credit for the intestinal fortitude he’s demonstrating.

Now, for the mayor and for the rest of us, it’s simply time to wait and see. — J.R.