Council president rebuts comments

To the editor: I would like to address the statements made by former Redkey Town Council member Dave Dudelston in your May 20, 2025, article regarding his resignation.

Mr. Dudelston’s public comments do not reflect the reality of his recent behavior on the council, and the community must hear the full story, rooted in facts, not personal attacks or misleading claims.

Mr. Dudelston wrote in his resignation, “can’t fix stupidity,” and attributed his departure to frustrations with my leadership. However, his resignation comes after months of missed meetings, disruptive conduct and an ongoing pattern of failing to carry out the duties of an elected official.

These are the facts:

•Since January 2024, Mr. Dudelston has missed five regular monthly meetings.

•He skipped two executive sessions.

•He walked out of two public meetings, including one in 2025 where he exited after using crude and disrespectful language and gestures toward fellow council members. During his final appearance at a council meeting, Mr. Dudelston asked the town attorney to read a personal statement — one that was not on the public agenda, and therefore not appropriate to present. When this was explained to him, he became argumentative and left the meeting in frustration. This type of behavior has become a hallmark of his time on the council — choosing disruption over discussion and personal grievance over public service.

Additionally, his record of disruptive conduct predates this term:

•In 2014, he verbally assaulted another council member (thecr.com/news/2014/jul/23/dudelston-faces-complaints/)

•That same year, the entire Park Board resigned due to conflicts with him (thecr.com/news/2014/jul/23/council-decision-to-come-in-april)

•In 2019, he was documented missing critical council meetings (thecr.com/news/2019/jul/19/council-gets-reminder)

•In 2024, he again caused public disruption during a council meeting (thecr.com/news/2024/apr/18/council-chaos)

•Former water plant superintendent resigned because of issues with council member Dave Dudelston (2014) (thecr.com/news/2014/jul/23/redkey-hires-water-supervisor)

•He also involved his wife in official town business inappropriately, escalating tension in 2014 (thecr.com/news/2014/jul/23/redkey-cited-by-idem)

Most recently, Mr. Dudelston submitted a complaint to the State Board of Accounts (SBOA) claiming he wasn’t properly notified of an audit exit meeting, despite receiving adequate notice. The state agreed to hold a second session to accommodate him, which he then failed to attend, resulting in an $837.50 charge to Redkey taxpayers. This kind of disregard for public resources is not acceptable.

His claims about “two sets of rules” and harassment accusations are simply attempts to deflect from a well-documented pattern of absenteeism, poor conduct and unwillingness to work collaboratively. Leadership requires accountability, and unfortunately, Mr. Dudelston has repeatedly refused to accept any.

Redkey residents deserve leaders who show up, work hard and put the community first. While his resignation is unfortunate in tone, it opens the door for the Jay County Republican Party to appoint someone who will do the job professionally and with commitment.

I remain dedicated to serving the people of Redkey with transparency, fairness, and integrity. I welcome honest collaboration and constructive dialogue with all council members, as we continue moving our town forward.

Sincerely,

Brenda Beaty

President

Redkey Town Council