Iron County road deputy Thomas Conhartoski is accused of angrily confronting Hurley city workers and the mayor over his water bill.

By Peter Cameron, THE BADGER PROJECT

Police from a neighboring county cited an Iron County Sheriff’s Deputy after he was accused of cursing at Hurley city workers and the mayor over his water bill.

Ashland Police charged Thomas Conhartoski with two counts of misdemeanor disorderly conduct in November, about two months after the incident.

Potential penalties for each charge can include a fine of up to $1,000 or a maximum of 90 days in jail, or both, though Conhartoski is unlikely to see anything that extreme.

On August 31 at approximately 11 a.m., the deputy entered the City of Hurley building in full uniform and came behind the counter asking for the person who handles water bills, according to the report from the Ashland Police investigator.

The deputy, who also sits on the Hurley City Council, was trying to get a credit on his water bill, reported one witness, whose name was not included in the report, but apparently was an employee of the office.

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When he was told the city was no longer offering those credits, he became enraged and loudly stated “I don’t f***ing agree with this policy,” according to the report.

He continued to argue with the workers there, loud enough for those outside the office to hear his profane yelling, according to a second witness.

The first witness told the investigator she and other workers in the office “were in shock” after the incident, saying they felt “nervous and intimidated.”

That same day, Conhartoski stopped at the residence of Hurley Mayor Joanne Bruneau, according to the report. Bruneau said she asked the deputy “What’s up?” and he “exploded,” dropping “f bombs” and threatening to call a “closed session with those girls,” apparently referring to his role as city councilman and the workers at city hall.

The mayor told the investigator that Conhartoski’s behavior was “not normal,” that she did not think she had ever seen someone as angry as he was at the time, and that the behavior was “too much.” Bruneau also told the investigator that she believed Conhartoski “was trying to get favoritism based on his being on the city council,” according to the report.

Conhartoski’s attorney did not return messages seeking comment.

In response to emailed questions about his deputy and job status, Iron County Sheriff Paul Samardich wrote in an email that “I cannot comment on a pending personnel matter.”

A status conference in Conhartoski’s case is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 28 at the Bayfield County Courthouse.

The accused in the legal system, especially first-time offenders facing misdemeanors, often cut a deal with prosecutors by agreeing to plead guilty to lesser or fewer charges in exchange for the dropping of others.

This story was funded in part by the Wirtanen Fund at the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation.

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