Whitewater Township clerk faces scrutiny over unauthorized wage payments

Whitewater Township leaders say Clerk Wendy Hoeksema received more than $2,900 in additional wages without board approval, a dispute that has already pushed the township into special meetings, legal bills and the threat of a law-enforcement referral.

Officials said the payments were made between May and November 2025 and were identified in January 2026. Township leaders say the issue is not just the amount of money involved, but whether hourly or supplemental compensation was routed through the approval process the township expects. Michigan law also says the supervisor, clerk and treasurer receive no additional compensation for attending township board meetings, a rule officials have cited as part of the legal backdrop to the case.

The controversy lands against the backdrop of a salary increase the board approved on May 8, 2025. Under Resolution #25-08, Hoeksema’s annual salary rose to $46,600 after the board reviewed comparable nearby township wages and the duties attached to the clerk’s office. That makes the later wage dispute more politically sensitive, with board members arguing the raise was meant to reflect the workload already.

Hoeksema has defended the payments by saying she did the work needed to keep the township operating and submitted timesheets through regular payroll meetings. Whitewater Township’s clerk page still lists her as clerk and says she keeps office hours Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., by appointment as necessary, underscoring that the office has continued to function through the dispute at Whitewater Township Hall on Vinton Road.

Trustee Tim Arends said the township had spent about $3,000 on special labor attorney fees and about $2,000 for two special meetings, bringing the cost of the dispute to about $10,000. The board’s agenda trail shows the matter working through multiple sessions, including special meetings on March 31 and April 13, along with regular board meetings in March and April.

The board set an April 20 deadline for Hoeksema to submit a repayment plan. If that does not happen, township officials said the matter may be referred to law enforcement, turning a payroll dispute into a broader test of financial controls and oversight inside a small Grand Traverse County government.