Dyer Tells The Ticker "I'm Done" As Credit Card Controversy Swirls

Leelanau County Administrator Jim Dyer says he no longer expects to return to his position, telling The Ticker Tuesday that he is “done with these people” after weeks of turmoil at the county. Dyer made the comments while responding to questions about a pair of county credit card issues that resulted in delinquent balances, late fees, and interest charges – problems Interim County Administrator Lauren Cypher says “will not happen again.”

During public comment at last week’s Board of Commissioners meeting, Tamara Kiessel, wife of Leelanau County Undersheriff James Kiessel, criticized the county over an unpaid sheriff’s office credit card bill, calling the situation “absolutely unacceptable for county government, specifically county finances.”

Kiessel said her husband oversees the sheriff’s office budget, including use of a county-issued credit card for expenses such as hotel stays and employee training. Each month, she said, receipts and invoices are attached to the statement and hand-delivered to the finance department for payment.

“However, for the June statement – which [James] submitted June 10 – the sheriff’s office credit card was never paid,” Kiessel said at the July 21 meeting. “As of this morning, the outstanding balance due July 7 still has not been paid.” She added that the county had incurred late fees and interest and worried the delinquency could affect her husband’s personal credit because the card is in his name.

After commissioners requested an explanation, Cypher provided a written timeline of the credit card issues.

She said the sheriff’s office statement was submitted the same day Dyer was placed on administrative leave. The bill should have been included in late claims for the June 16 board meeting but instead remained in a general file for credit card statements, leaving the balance unpaid.

Cypher said she learned of the issue July 10 and immediately involved the finance department. The bill was included in July claims, with all late fees and interest charged to the administration budget rather than the sheriff’s office. Documents provided by Kiessel show a $41 late fee and $29.45 in interest. Commissioners approved the payment at last week's meeting, and the balance was paid electronically the following day.

Cypher’s letter also details issues involving the county credit card issued to Dyer. She said she learned July 17 that the card had been frozen, disrupting a hotel reservation for Emergency Management Director Matt Ansorge and Deputy Director Kelly LaCross.

While issues with that reservation were quickly resolved, Cypher said reconciling Dyer’s card proved far more difficult because it lacked documentation for purchases dating back to February. She said the card’s use violated county policy, which requires all transactions to be documented and approved. Finance staff then spent three days obtaining missing invoices and receipts, balancing credits, identifying underpayments and duplicate payments, and accounting for interest and late fees.

“All documentation has been located, the card balances, and the hold has been lifted,” Cypher told The Ticker, providing 145 pages of receipts, statements, and invoices. Those records show repeated late fees and interest charges between April and July totaling roughly $470.

Reached Tuesday afternoon, Dyer denied blame, saying his card was frequently used to book conference hotels for other employees. While acknowledging he was responsible for reconciling the account, he said collecting receipts from staff was often difficult. Because the finance department would only pay charges backed by documentation, he said, balances were left partially unpaid until receipts were received.

“My suggestion had been that we just pay the bill in full, to avoid any late charges or interest, and then worry later about getting the documentation,” Dyer said.

Dyer argued he is now being scapegoated for the credit card problems “because I’m not there to defend myself.”

Though Dyer had previously told The Ticker there might be a path for him to return to the county administrator’s office, he now says he has accepted that his tenure is over.

“I’m cleaning up my office tonight; I’m done with these people,” Dyer said. “There are structural and personality issues in that building that existed long before I ever showed up, and they're still there. It’s frankly an awful place to work. I wish Lauren luck, because she's going to need it.”