Milton town council will be short one member this summer.
Hugh Payne Jr. submitted his resignation, effective Aug. 11, after 18 years of service on the council.
In an announcement shared on social media, Payne said he received a letter from the town attorney requesting he resign due to not attending council meetings.
He said he wanted to resign several times before, but remained at the request of office staff and other council members. Recent health issues kept him from attending meetings in person, he said, despite attempts to attend by video call. He said his absence is not the reason the board “can’t get things done in a timely manner.”
WWN requested a copy of the attorney’s letter but had not received it as of press time.
“I pray the Milton town residents survive this new council,” said Payne. He thanked the residents for letting him be their council representative during his term.
Wayne County Clerk Tara Pegg confirmed receipt of Payne’s resignation to WWN and that she had notified Wayne County Republican Party chair Beth Leisure to begin the process of filling the empty seat.
According to the Indiana Election Division, Leisure has 30 days after the vacancy to fill the position. A caucus is not necessary given Milton’s smaller size. If Leisure does not make an appointment, the council appoints a member. If the officeholder’s resignation has a delayed effective date, the new selected member would not take office until the effective date of the resignation.
Milton’s town officials continue to be out of compliance with various state transparency and public records laws. As first reported by WWN May 20, the town’s website page for publishing meeting agendas and minutes has not been updated since September 2025, it does not share broadcasts or recordings of its meetings, and the town does not send out notification of its public meetings to this newspaper, all required by state statute.
A version of this article appeared in the July 8 2026 print edition of the Western Wayne News.
