Sheena Barnes told the Sumpter Township Board of Trustees at its March 8 meeting that the Internal Revenue Service is after her for getting retirement checks from Sumpter Township that she never saw.
Barnes said she has lived in the township for all of her 63 years and her parents had a business in the township. She said when Clarence Hoffman passed away she was appointed to the township board. She said there was a $9,000 difference in her pay from other trustees and she was told it was because she was single and not married. She said other trustees got $14,000 and now it’s up to $22,000. She said she felt it was shady at the time and not fair.
She said she tried to run for office in 2019 and was the top vote-getter in all precincts, but she didn’t win and she felt it was shady.
Now, she said, in March 2022 she is told she had been receiving a retirement check through this administration.
“I know I didn’t win the election in 2019,” she said.
On Jan. 28, she said she received a letter from the Social Security office saying there was no information from her about her retirement account. On March 4 she said she had a telephone conference with Mr. Hamlett from the Social Security Administration and he told her how much she was getting – that she wasn’t getting.
“Social Security had a red flag from the IRS. It was shady,” she told the board.
“The retirement check? Where’s it at?” she asked. She said Social Security couldn’t take her word for it and she has to prove she didn’t get the checks from the township.
She said they gave her several steps to follow and this is her second step. She needs a letter from the township saying she was appointed in 2017 and clocked out in 2018.
“I haven’t had anything since 2018 and this is 2022,” she said.
Trustee Tim Rush, who is deputy supervisor, said he would be in the office the next day and he would be happy to help her out and give her a letter of clarification. He asked her to bring in the documentation she has.
“I promise I will help you,” he said.
“I hope you can help. This definitely is not over,” Barnes said.
- Previous story Court Watching: Timothy Porter bound over to circuit court for driving while intoxicated
- Next story ‘Michigan Saves,’ public dedication coming soon to Belleville Library