Village treasurer resigns after controversial departure of village clerk

By Allison Scarbrough. OCP Editor.

SHELBY – Just one week after getting a new village clerk on board, Village Treasurer Roxanne Inglis has resigned.

“With the notification of Roxanne stepping down, how many village employees have moved on since (Village Administrator) Aaron (Desentz) has been here?” Shelby resident Mary Lulich asked during Monday night’s village council meeting. Desentz said two office staff (Inglis and former clerk Peggy Miller) and four Department of Public Works (DPW) employees have left their employment with the village since he began working for the village.

Desentz was hired as village administrator last September, replacing long-time Village Administrator and DPW Supervisor Randy Phillips who resigned in early 2013. Miller resigned as clerk last month after eight years on the job.

“Would you say that’s a high rate of turnover?” Lulich asked Desentz. “It’s high,” he said.

“Is the council looking at this?” Lulich asked. “Change is tough,” said Village President Andrew Morse.

“I would also like to know if the council realizes the importance of keeping employees?” Lulich asked, citing the high cost of training new workers. “It’s like the Wild, Wild West,” she said.

“I’ve had some great concerns with some of them,” Village Councilwoman Sharita Prowant said of the recent employee departures. “I’m worried about it.”

When asked by OCP why she is leaving her post as village treasurer, Inglis declined to elaborate, but added that she is moving on to another job.

Desentz was asked by OCP why so many employees have left the village since he took his position there, and he said, “Every (departure) was for a different reason.”

Now the council will be looking for a replacement for Inglis, whose last day will be May 8.

Council voted unanimously to remove Inglis, Miller and former Deputy Treasurer Sandy Dean from the bank accounts and put Schultz and Morse on the accounts effective, May 8. The motion was made at Inglis’ request. “You need to make a motion tonight about what you want to do with the accounts, because I definitely want to be off them,” she told the council.

Council voted 5-1 during its last session, April 14, to offer Schultz the clerk position, and she has been on the job for a week. “Aaron feels she’s doing a wonderful job,” Morse said.