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Burton mayor notifies public after unsigned letters use City Hall return address
Summary
Mayor Karen Buck reported unsigned letters using Burton City Hall as a return address; the city coordinated with the postmaster, filed reports with the FBI and Postal Inspection Service, and posted a public notice clarifying the letters were not sent by City Hall.
Mayor Karen Buck told the council that in early January 2026 she was notified by a resident about an unsigned letter that used the Burton City Hall return address. The mayor consulted Postmaster Lydia at the Burton Post Office and was advised on procedures for mail fraud; the mayor filed reports with the FBI, the Postal Inspection Service and the Washington County Sheriff's Office. The city posted a notice on its Facebook page on Jan. 12 clarifying the city did not send or authorize the unsigned letters.
City staff later learned similar letters were being sent to physical addresses outside city limits; additionally, Citizens State Bank surrendered three more letters during a deposit transaction. The minutes state the mayor will contact the city attorney and the FBI and that the postal inspector and county law enforcement have been notified. The city will not address the contents of the unsigned letters because they are not signed.
