SHAWANO, WI- District 16 Supervisor Lowel Hammett will remain on the Shawano County Board, after a highly anticipated vote to remove him failed. 16 supervisors voted to keep Hammett on the Board, 11 voted to have him removed, but the decision did little to calm the deep divisions that erupted again this week as supervisors clashed over Hammett’s past allegations, conduct, and shifting explanations.
Hammett was however removed from the County’s Ethics Committee by a 20-7 vote.
The board’s decision to keep Hammett in his seat capped a months-long saga marked by disputes over financial claims, internal complaints, ethics findings, and repeated accusations between supervisors. The latest meeting featured tense exchanges, conflicting accounts, and renewed frustration as board members reacted to a written statement Hammett submitted ahead of the vote.
In his statement, Hammett said he was leaving the process “with my integrity intact” and expressed confidence that he had provided “a complete and fair accounting of the facts.” He attributed earlier missteps to being unfamiliar with county procedures.
But supervisors, including Randy Young, said the statement failed to match his previous public comments, or accept responsibility for allegations the Ethics Committee later found unsubstantiated.
The discussion began with the reading of a written statement from Hammett, who defended his conduct and said he would “leave with my integrity intact and with confidence that I completed a fair accounting of the facts, which ultimately speak for themselves.” Hammett suggested he was unfamiliar with county procedures when raising concerns earlier this year but insisted he had acted in good faith.
Hammett spoke, accusing committee members of previously dismissing submitted materials. He referenced a heated ethics committee meeting, claiming documents were effectively “thrown in the garbage” and saying his out-of-town status meant he had no personal stake in local politics.
“We’ve done everything we could possibly do,” he said. “We asked everybody we could ask. We weren’t going to let it go back to the executive committee again and get thrown in the garbage.”
Tension spiked as Chairman Tom Kautza and Hammett interrupted each other, leading to brief procedural disputes over who had the floor. Kautza questioned how a colleague could claim to have “no horse in this race,” pointing out they live in the county. Hammett clarified, “I didn’t say I didn’t live here. I said I’m not from here… I don’t have cousins here. I didn’t go to school here.”
A Conflict Months in the Making
May 2025: Complaints With No Documentation
The conflict originated on May 30, when Hammett attempted to force an emergency closed session by alleging employee bullying and misconduct.
He claimed to have affidavits and sworn statements, but brought no documentation, and county legal counsel ruled a closed session could not be entered without proper notice or evidence.
June 2025: The “Missing Million” Claim
On June 27, Hammett stunned county leadership by stating publicly that “a million dollars was missing” from county financial accounts.
Board Chair Tom Kautza and then-Administrative Coordinator Jim Davel quickly rejected the claim, pointing to the county’s clean audit and stable finances.
Hammett later said funds were simply moved “from account to account,” a sharp contrast supervisors pointed out during the most recent debate.
Young also addressed that during Wednesday’s meeting. “That is not what he told this board. Saying money was moved is very different from saying a million dollars was missing.”
Supervisors Challenge Hammett’s New Explanation
Hammett’s latest written statement suggested he had misunderstood county investigative procedures. Board members emphatically rejected that reasoning.
“All he had to do was ask,” Young said. “We have people who would have helped him through the process.”
Young, who serves on the executive committee recalled Hammett and another individual coming to a closed session earlier this year claiming to possess, sworn statements, video recordings and audio recordings “We told them: bring that information forward,” he said. “I told them I would 100% back them if they could show me the proof. They never brought it back. That reflects on me,” he said. “I tried to help. Instead, he threw me under the bus.”
On November 20, the committee recommended that Hammett be removed from the Ethics Committee, and the full County Board consider his removal from office. That vote came before this week’s full board decision, which ultimately did not reach the threshold to remove him.
Comments