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By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief
PERE MARQUETTE TOWNSHIP — Mason County Clerk Cheryl Kelly is accusing the Mason County Board of Commissioners of making decisions impacting her office’s duties and its personnel without her consultation.
During the April 15, 2025 regular monthly meeting of the commission, a resolution was presented to move the accounts payable and payroll duties from the Mason County Clerk’s Office to the county administration department. The board approved the resolution 6-1 with Commissioner Nick Krieger voting against it.
The proposed change was discussed and recommended by the county’s Finance, Personnel, and Rules Committee at its April 8 meeting.
“The Board has the utmost respect for the duties and responsibilities of both departments,” County Administrator Kaitlyn Szczypka said. “It was determined that this move was beneficial to the organization’s internal workings and to the county as a whole.”
In making the move, two deputy clerks who had been assigned to the clerk’s office are being reassigned to the administrator’s office.
“I was unaware these changes were being considered until the April 8, 2025 Finance, Personnel, and Rules Committee meeting, in which I attended as a member of the public, where agenda items No. 10 to add staff to the administration office was discussed,” Kelly said. “The notes will show that the committee unanimously recommended to the full board to place accounts payable and payroll under the administrator’s control.”
Kelly said the staffing changes call for a full time deputy clerk be hired by her department. However, the two deputies who are being moved had other duties besides accounts payables and payroll.
“As the department head, I should have been included in all prior discussions that involved making changes to the duties and personnel overseen by the clerk’s office,” she said.
Kelly said the chair of the FPR Committee, Janet Anderson, stated the reason for the change was to alleviate the work load in the clerk’s office.
“However, the proposed changes would still require me to be involved in the process of accounts payable and payroll to a similar degree while removing my ability to oversee the personnel involved.”
As a result, Kelly, who is an elected official, said she will not sign any legal documents pertaining to accounts payable and payroll.
The commission is expected to resolve that issue during a special meeting scheduled for tonight where the commission is being asked to designate the administrator as the signatory on county bank accounts.
The Board of Commissioners will meet at 7 p.m. at the Mason County Airport Terminal meeting room, 5300 W. US 10.
Szczypka also said the changes will not impact the county’s current budget. She said the budget had called for the hiring of a finance director. Instead, the county board chose to contract with recently retired county administrator Fabian Knizacky for financial support services.
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