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Shiawassee County Board censures Commissioner Matthew Shepard after conduct allegations
Summary
The Shiawassee County Board of Commissioners voted to censure Commissioner Matthew Shepard, citing his failure to disclose his commissioner salary on a Veterans Affairs benefit application and allegations that he used his office to influence staff and behaved abusively toward county employees.
The Shiawassee County Board of Commissioners voted to censure Commissioner Matthew Shepard at its Dec. 10, 2025 meeting, after adopting a resolution that details complaints about his conduct toward county employees and his Veterans Affairs benefit application.
The resolution, offered in the meeting packet as Resolution #25-12-21, alleges Shepard omitted his commissioner salary from a Veterans Affairs application, attempted to use his elected office to influence VA staff after his application was denied, returned the next day to confront department staff, used profane language, and ordered a female county employee out of his presence. The motion to accept the resolution was moved by Commissioner Cindy Garber and seconded by Commissioner Josh Haley; the roll call as recorded lists Commissioners Bill Johnson, Cindy Garber, Brad Howard, Josh Haley, Gary Holzhausen and Chairman Gregory Brodeur voting in favor and Commissioner Matthew Shepard voting no.
Chairman Gregory Brodeur opened a public hearing on the budget earlier in the meeting; during that hearing Dr. Brian Boggs presented budget background and the minutes record that attorney Robert Hinojosa (representing All Star Towing) and Richard Maurer spoke to the body about the conduct issue before the board took formal action. The resolution states the board will monitor Commissioner Shepard's behavior and take further action as necessary to protect county employees.
The resolution text printed in the packet calls out the alleged omission, the denial of the VA application, Shepard's subsequent attempts to influence staff, and language the board described as disrespectful and potentially threatening. The packet identifies the action as "censure" and directs monitoring by the board going forward.
The meeting record contains a clerical inconsistency: the resolution appears in the packet as #25-12-21, while the motion in the minutes at one point is recorded as referencing "Resolution 25-22-21." The minutes also include a later line that lists seven yea votes including Commissioner Shepard; that line conflicts with the contemporaneous roll call that explicitly lists six yea votes and one nay (Shepard). The board minutes reflect both notations in the record.
The board declared the resolution adopted and said it would continue to monitor the matter. No additional formal personnel penalties were recorded at the Dec. 10 meeting.
