UPDATE: 6 News did attempt to reach Lisa Grysen both by phone and by visiting her home Monday night.
DEWITT, Mich. (WLNS) — Lisa Grysen has been terminated from her post as the Clerk/Treasurer of DeWitt.
The reason?
“Concerning irregularities in connection with City Funds,” reads a letter from Mayor Sue Leeming to Grysen. The letter was released tonight after the vote. The six members of council upheld Leeming’s decision to terminate Grysen earlier this month.
City officials declined to discuss what the irregularities were.
Grysen was escorted from City Hall Aug. 16 after officials confronted her about financial concerns. She was formally terminated from the city two days later. She worked for the city for over 20 years, Mayor Pro-Tem Dave Hunsanker says. She was the city’s treasurer, until the position was combined with the clerk’s position.
6 News reported exclusively on Aug. 23 Michigan State Police were investigating Grysen.
“The City is working with our legal counsel and other experts collecting information that will be referred to the Michigan State Police for an external investigation,” Leeming read from a prepared statement.
The former Clerk/Treasurer also resigned her position as an auxiliary officer for the Clinton County Sheriff’s Department.
City officials are tight lipped about what irregularities they found, but say all payments made to the city are “accounted for and safe.”
“Our system of checks and balances did work, not as quickly as anyone would have wanted,” says Leeming. “However, our internal controls were effective and we discovered the irregularities.”
Sarah Stoltzfus has been appointed as the Interim City Clerk/Treasurer. She has been an employee of the city of DeWitt since 2015. She most recently served as the Administrative Specialist. She’s certified as a municipal clerk and has over five years of experience and training in municipal finance and administration, Leeming says.
“We are very fortunate in this situation to have Sarah here and she stepped right in,” says Leeming.
There is no timeline to hire a permanent Clerk/Treasurer for the city.
