Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Ethics Censure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Shiawassee County Board votes to censure Commissioner Matthew Shepard
Summary
The Shiawassee County Board of Commissioners adopted a resolution censuring Commissioner Matthew Shepard after finding he failed to disclose his commissioner salary on a VA benefits application and behaved inappropriately toward county staff; the measure passed 6-1.
The Shiawassee County Board of Commissioners voted Dec. 10 to censure Commissioner Matthew Shepard for conduct described in Resolution #25-12-21, a measure the board said arose from Shepard's interactions with Veterans Affairs staff and county employees.
The motion to accept the resolution was made by Commissioner Cindy Garber and seconded by Commissioner Josh Haley. The resolution alleges Shepard failed to disclose his commissioner salary on a VA benefits application, attempted to use his elected status to influence VA staff, returned to the department to press staff the next day, admitted the omission while blaming county staff, used foul language and behaved in a manner that caused concern for employee safety, and treated a female county employee disrespectfully. The board adopted the censure by roll-call vote: six ayes (Bill Johnson, Cindy Garber, Brad Howard, Josh Haley, Gary Holzhausen and Chairman Gregory Brodeur) and one nay (Commissioner Matthew Shepard).
Chairman Gregory Brodeur opened a public hearing on the 2026 budget earlier in the meeting and later addressed the board and public with a statement concerning Commissioner Shepard's conduct. Attorney Robert Hinojosa, who identified himself as representing All Star Towing, and Richard Maurer spoke to the board during the same segment about the commissioner's conduct; the transcript records those remarks but does not include verbatim quotations.
The adopted resolution censures Shepard and states the board will monitor his behavior and take further action as necessary to protect county employees from harassing or abusive behavior. The resolution text describes the findings that led to the censure but does not record any formal disciplinary sanctions beyond the censure itself.
The board declared the resolution adopted during the Dec. 10 meeting. The clerk certified the resolution as a true copy of the action taken at the meeting.
