Clinton County Council adopts resolution demanding resignation of sheriff and matron, seeks restrictions on fiscal access

The Clinton County Council on April 14 unanimously adopted Resolution 2026-02, demanding the immediate resignation of Sheriff Rich Kelly and Jail Matron Ashley Kelly and requesting steps to limit their access to the sheriff's office fiscal systems while criminal and civil matters proceed.

Alan, the council chair, read the council's statement and the resolution preamble, saying, "The people of Clinton County deserve honesty, transparency, and accountability in government." The statement summarized recent developments: the arrest of Sheriff Rich Kelly and Matron Ashley Kelly on charges of fraud, theft and official misconduct; an earlier civil suit by the Indiana Attorney General's Office that produced a summary judgment ordering $329,360.47 in restitution; and a Marion County no-contact order that restricts the Kellys's contact with certain sheriff's office staff.

Council member Carol said she fully supported the statement and the resolution, urging decisive action to protect county funds. "It is our duty to act decisively to protect the financial stability and operational integrity of our government," she said during council discussion.

The resolution asks, "to the extent Indiana law allows," for three steps: (1) restrict the Kellys' access to fiscal resources and financial management tools of the sheriff's office; (2) temporarily transfer operational fiscal management responsibility for the sheriff's office to the Clinton County auditor; and (3) request that the Indiana General Assembly review and consider strengthening state law governing sheriff departments' oversight, particularly commissary operations and oversight of appointed positions with access to public funds.

Council members discussed practical implications, including how the county might collect the civil judgment. A council member asked about collection of the $329,360.47 ordered by the court; the county attorney indicated the appeals period had expired, but said collection procedures would need follow-up with the commissioners.

The council first accepted a read statement as the official council statement (motion by Jeff, second by Todd) and voted 5-0 to make it public. Later, Council adopted Resolution 2026-02 (mover: Carol; second: Todd). The final vote on the resolution was 5-0 in favor.

The council said it would distribute the resolution to other legislative bodies and urged the state legislature to consider statutory changes to give local governments additional tools to address extraordinary situations in sheriff's offices. The resolution directs that, "to the extent of our own authority," the county direct a temporary transfer of fiscal responsibility for the sheriff's office to the county auditor during the interim period while the cases proceed.

Next steps noted at the meeting included coordination with the county commissioners about whether they could actuate the transfer and follow-up questions about civil-judgment collection procedures.