After receiving 15 calls last Thurs. asking why he lied about the Deputy Supervisor position, Independence Township Supervisor Dave Wagner decided to call the Clarkston News.
‘Nobody calls me a liar, one thing I am is a person of my word that means everything to me,? Wagner said. “To have something like that, be in the paper is a complete freaking fabrication and completely blows my mind and if you’d like to quote me you can put that in next week’s paper.?
He was referring to Trustee David Lohmeier’s comment ‘I’m disappointed he (Wagner) didn’t tell the truth? in the Nov. 10 story Trustees blindsided by supervisor hire.
‘It doesn’t say he lied anywhere in that story. It doesn’t even use that word,? Lohmeier said. ‘I’m not apologizing for anything I said.?
Trustee Larry Rosso also quoted in last week’s story said, Wagner told him before the meeting he had hired Yaeger as deputy supervisor, but Wagner disagrees.
‘I never told him before the meeting started that I hired a deputy,? Wagner said. ‘We’re sitting there before the meeting even started and he (Larry) says ‘I hear you hired a deputy?? and I said ‘well that’s what Neil (Wallace) says I did. Everybody knows I hired a deputy except for me.??
Rosso said he may misinterepreted what Wagner said.
‘I don’t remember him evoking Neil’s name at all, but he could have,? he said. ‘It’s not something you really focus on when you have conversations before the meeting.?
Rosso noted he also recieved confirmation from Clerk Shelagh VanderVeen that Wagner had hired a deputy.
Wagner claims the only reason Yaeger was sworn in two days later was because after he thought about it, he felt ‘it was a good idea?
‘I thought they’d be pleased with me because what I did,? he said. ‘It’s a part-time position.?
Wagner said he never saw Yaegers letter, which stated he was interested in becoming a deputy supervisor and hasen’t “seen it to this date.
‘The day I interviewed him, Carol was in there with me, she handed me his resume. What I did was look at his qualifications,? he said. ‘That’s all I looked at and talked to him about them. The cover page wasn’t even on it because I forgot his name.?
‘Wagner said his original intent was to bring Yaeger on part-time until he found someone he wanted for administrative position.
‘I’ve interviewed someone who’s really good (for the administrative assistant job),? he said. But I’m taking my time with it.?
Yaeger could not be reached for comment by press time.