A resignation in the Wayne County Auditor’s Office makes necessary a contract worker to assist the office through the 2027 budgeting process.
During its finance committee meeting May 6, Wayne County Council considered a request from Auditor Mark Hoelscher to transfer $20,000 from the chief deputy’s salary line item to his contractual/professional line item. The chief deputy recently resigned, and council member Cathy Williams said finding a replacement for eight months before a new auditor takes office and selects a chief deputy is difficult.
Amy Chenowith, running unopposed, won the Republican nomination for auditor during the primary election. Chenowith has no general election opponent. Independent or minor party candidates have until noon June 30 to file their candidacy, and Democrat and Libertarian candidates have until noon July 3 to file candidacy for the seat.
Council member Beth Leisure, the finance committee chair, suggested that council deny the transfer request and instead fund the contract worker from council’s contractual line item. Wayne County’s commissioners will be responsible for contracting with a worker, so council will not know the contract terms and cost until that time.
Council accepted Leisure’s suggestion, denying Hoelscher’s transfer request and committing to payment from council’s budget.
Council did approve transfers for Sheriff Randy Retter and for the Economic Development Corp. of Wayne County.
Retter transferred $39,000 from unused jail salary to his jail overtime fund. He explained that a problem with a backup generator switch created additional workload to keep the facility safe and secure.
Sarah Mitchell of the EDC received permission to create a new line item for Milestone Trailer Wash and transfer $13,000 from the housing accelerator program to the Milestone line item. The money is part of a $26,000 economic development income tax grant the EDC awarded the company led by Richmond natives Joel and Greg Eberlein.
Milestone plans to invest $2.3 million in a Midwest Industrial Park facility and hire six employees with a payroll of $252,000.
Job postings
During its personnel committee meeting, council approved the posting and hiring of three positions: a full-time food service position in the jail at $19.64 per hour, a full-time general maintenance position in building and grounds for $19.64 per hour, and a full-time receptionist position in the prosecutor’s office at $24.18 per hour.
Other actions
- Council approved an interlocal agreement with Union County for Wayne County Emergency Communications Center to handle 911 calls while Union County’s new hires receive training. Wayne County will receive $248 per eight-hour shift, covering overnight shifts Tuesday through Saturday and all day Sunday and Monday for 90 days.
- Through the Hoosier Enduring Legacy Program, Wayne County pledged $10,000 toward Richmond’s fundraising to renovate the E.G. Hill Fountain in Glen Miller Park’s Rose Garden. The $10,000 helped Richmond raise $50,000 and receive a $50,000 match from the state’s CreatINg Places program. Council approved an interlocal agreement with the city to pay the $10,000.
- Council approved paying LWC about $13,000 from council’s one-time line item for engineering services related to the concrete drive project on the courthouse’s west side.
A version of this article appeared in the May 13 2026 print edition of the Western Wayne News.
