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Elberta Clerk‑Treasurer Katherine Ralston resigns, council removes her as account signatory
Summary
Clerk‑Treasurer Katherine Ralston submitted a resignation letter dated Sept. 17 citing overwhelming workload related to new system onboarding and utility billing; the council accepted the resignation and voted to remove her as a bank signatory effective Sept. 27.
Clerk‑Treasurer Katherine Ralston submitted a resignation letter dated Sept. 17 and told the council that onboarding new systems and handling utility billing became overwhelming and stressful. The council accepted her resignation at the Sept. 19 meeting; an exit interview was scheduled for Sept. 25.
Ralston said she established a working basis in the village’s BS&A software and Microsoft Office but that additional regular office staff are needed to maintain internal controls. President Jennifer Wilkins moved to accept the resignation; Trustee Ken Holmes seconded the motion and the council voted unanimously to accept it.
The council also voted to remove Ralston as a signatory on MiClass accounts, State Savings Bank accounts and the village credit card effective Sept. 27. President Wilkins moved and Pro Tempore Emily Votruba seconded the removal; the motion passed by roll call.
Why it matters: the clerk‑treasurer is the village’s chief financial officer and primary custodian of accounting records; the resignation, the outstanding backlog of bank reconciliations and the council’s decision to contract UHY to complete reconciliations together indicate near‑term administrative transition and the need to strengthen internal controls.
What’s next: the exit interview is scheduled for Sept. 25; the council removed Ralston’s signatory authority effective Sept. 27 and will proceed with implementing the Corrective Action Plan submitted to the Michigan Department of Treasury.
