Auditor, council members clash

Wayne County Council member Beth Leisure requested Auditor Mark Hoelscher resign during council’s Jan. 7 personnel committee meeting.

Hoelscher not only declined to resign, but later that morning, he filed his 2026 candidacy for reelection.

Leisure’s request came after Hoelscher asked for permission to fill vacant bookkeeper, payroll clerk and grant clerk positions. The payroll clerk discussion set off a back-and-forth with council members about why the positions were open, culminating in Leisure telling Hoelscher, “I’m formally calling for your resignation.”

After the meeting, Leisure told Western Wayne News that Hoelscher fired two employees, including the payroll clerk, in violation of county human resources policies and has “been a bully to everyone in his office.”

“It’s just been havoc, and it has affected all the offices in this building, not just the auditor’s office,” Leisure said, “and I stand behind the fact that he needs to resign.”

Hoelscher, who was elected in 2022, said during the meeting that other county officials recruited the former payroll clerk to run against him in the 2026 election. The former payroll clerk now works in the county’s planning department and, while employed in that department, ensured that the county’s Jan. 9 payroll was met. 

Council members expressed the urgency in filling the essential payroll clerk position. They unanimously voted that the payroll clerk’s position could be posted, but did not authorize Hoelscher to finalize a hire. A second vote permitted Max Smith, council’s president, to authorize the hiring if Hoelscher would find a qualified candidate.

Hoelscher said neither he nor anyone currently in his office is able to process payroll. A delay in hiring a payroll clerk could jeopardize the Jan. 23 payroll, he said. Council member Misty Hollis told Hoelscher that’s unacceptable.

“You’re in charge of this office,” Hollis said. “It’s unacceptable to say that you can’t make payroll.”

Hoelscher responded: “If I don’t have the staff, I can’t guarantee I can make payroll.”

So, Hollis said that as the department leader, Hoelscher needs to “make it happen.”

“I look forward to you making payroll, because that is your responsibility,” said Hollis.

“I know exactly what my duties are. I know how to make sure that they are accomplished,” Hoelscher said. “When I have interference from somebody else into my office, it creates a problem not only for me, but for my office and for the county.”

During the payroll discussion, Hoelscher told council that he’s vetting a vendor that could assist with payroll moving forward, although that would not eliminate the need for a payroll clerk. Hoelscher said he spoke with another county that was happy with the additional resource.

“It eliminates a lot of problems when somebody gets sick,” he said. “They can still get a payroll out.”

Council member Gary Saunders expressed concern that adding a vendor and keeping the payroll clerk would create an additional taxpayer burden.

“I will not add additional money to what it costs me to operate that office,” Hoelscher said.

In addition to approving the posting of the payroll clerk position, council approved hiring an in-house bookkeeper candidate that had already received a conditional offer and voted to take the grant clerk position under advisement.

Unanimous votes also approved posting and hiring a truck driver position in the highway department and a food services position in the jail.

Commissary fund

Sheriff Randy Retter presented a quarterly report about his commissary fund.

The ending balance Dec. 31 was $202,314.78, an increase of $27,777.35 from the fourth quarter of 2025’s beginning balance. Retter and council members expressed concern that the charge for phone calls from the jail is now capped at 13 cents per minute, down from 21 cents.

Finance committee

Council approved Retter’s request for five transfers during its finance committee meeting. The money moves from jail deputy positions to temporary civilian jail officer positions.

Retter previously instituted the temporary positions because hiring civilian jail officers is easier than hiring deputies. The workers will then move into permanent civilian positions when those civilian officers are promoted to deputy positions.

Council also approved creation of a new fund because the Emergency Communications Center received a $7,500 grant. The money will hire a vendor to work with county GIS in preparation for the next generation of 911 software.

Council officers

Smith was voted to continue as council’s president during 2026. Barry Ritter was elected to continue as vice president.