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Milroy council investigates complaint against clerk and debates transparency measures
Summary
The council investigated a complaint about Clerk/Treasurer Betsy Snyder, ultimately taking no disciplinary action; the complaint and related debates led to disputes over video retention, council keys, VEBA contributions and social-media policy.
The Milroy City Council spent multiple meetings in 2025 reviewing a complaint against Clerk/Treasurer Betsy Snyder and debating related governance and transparency issues.
A complaint about clerk conduct (stemming in part from a December late-fee interaction) prompted the council to play recorded footage at a Feb. 11 special meeting; the council voted 4–0 (Haken/Miller/Olson/Christensen; Mayor Sik recused) to file no disciplinary action after the playback and testimony. "No rude comments were heard," the minutes record after the playback.
That dispute triggered recurring debate over access to building keys, camera footage and online meeting management. Council votes authorized the mayor to receive keys to city buildings (Sik/Olson majority on Feb. 11) and later established that, by policy, only the council and clerk should record meetings (Nov. 24). The council also directed that recordings be uploaded to the city website the day after meetings (Feb. 24).
A related strand of discussion focused on employee benefits and whether council action at an earlier meeting had been taken on incorrect information about VEBA contributions. At the Feb. 11 special meeting multiple motions to change VEBA contributions failed and the council ultimately left the written policy unchanged. Later votes in March and September established a $1,200-per-employee VEBA contribution and clarified how PTO payouts could be placed into VEBA accounts if employees chose that option.
Tensions over the complaint and governance choices persisted into the fall. In October the council reviewed a formal grievance filed by employee Dean Duscher tied to several operational conflicts; acting-mayor motions took "no action" against Mayor Sik on the matter (Olson/L. Sik motion approved with an abstention). Council minutes record numerous public comments — some sharply critical — urging the council to address workplace issues, the tile-line invoice dispute, and greater transparency.
Council leaders said the objective was to balance employee protections, public-record and transparency obligations, and limited staff resources. The council repeatedly directed formalized procedures — a key policy on keys, a camera retention practice, an open-forum speaker form (adopted Dec. 22), and a practice that complaints against staff be routed to the city attorney for review prior to council action — to reduce procedural ambiguity going forward.
