(7/20) Liberty Township Board of Supervisors Chair Walter "Mickey" Barlow is busy preparing for the future.
Barlow, who has been a supervisor since 2015, also serves as the township’s roadmaster. Barring a successful write-in campaign, Barlow will likely maintain that position after November’s General Election since he is the only person on the ballot. Johnny Gereny and Adams Sanders unsuccessfully attempted to wrangle the Republican nomination for supervisor from Barlow during May’s Primary Election. No Democrats sought the seat, but Barlow also captured that party’s nomination through a write-in campaign.
Barlow is also the township’s paid roadmaster, a position he has held for several years. The 61-year-old Liberty native wishes to pass the garage keys to someone else.
"Being on call every night of the week, seven days a week is not a place I want to be," he said.
Barlow fears no one else will want the job.
"Employee retention, not only here in Liberty Township, but across the state has become a very problematic issue," Barlow said.
Barlow is often called at all hours of the day and night to plow snow, clear storm damage, and respond to other emergencies. He coordinates the road paving schedule and reviews bids from contractors.
In an effort to attract and retain a quality roadmaster, Barlow told his fellow supervisors in July he plans to soon present a new health insurance and benefits package for review and eventual approval. Township Administrative Assistant Hannah Beckett has been researching other municipalities’ wage scales and benefits packages, Barlow said. The proposed changes will affect all township departments, Barlow said.
"Trying to retain key police officers has almost become an impossibility," Barlow said.
In August 2022, Police Chief Sherri Hansen resigned from her full-time position to become Bonneauville’s chief of police. At the time, Hansen agreed to remain in the role part-time until another chief was hired. A year later, Hansen remains the part-time police chief.
In February of this year, Supervisor Bobby Keilhotlz criticized township auditors for paying Barlow the same hourly wage for his job as roadmaster as the wage of his employees. Keilhotlz noted Barlow is required to hold many more certifications than others on the road crew.
Six months later, the auditors have yet to acknowledge Keilhotlz’s concern. By law, the township auditors set the pay for working supervisors. If the next roadmaster is not a working supervisor, that power will return to the board of supervisors.
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