Why is Fort Wayne's city clerk working two jobs?

Hey Locals,

This one is going to take a little explaining…

A few weeks ago, we received a reader email, asking us to look into what’s happening with Fort Wayne’s City Clerk Lana Keesling. The reader claimed Keesling – a full-time city employee who earns a taxpayer-funded salary of about $100,000 – was “rarely in her office.” They also questioned why she accepted a second job as Indiana’s Republican Party Chairperson in February of this year. 

“Why does she not resign (from) her job as clerk?” they asked.

To answer this: Our reporter Rachel Horton reached out to three main contacts: 

• Keesling
• Allen County Republican Chair Steve Shine
• Allen County Democratic Chair Chad Wierzbinski

To our surprise: Not long after Horton talked with Wierzbinski last week, he publicly called for Keesling to step down from her role as clerk, claiming it’s a “conflict of interest.”

Since then: Keesling and Allen County Republican Chair Steve Shine have responded by announcing that Keesling has been planning to resign at the end of this year, and a caucus to fill her position is scheduled for Jan. 17, 2026.

But a few questions remain: Why didn’t Keesling resign in February when she accepted her second job – another paid position (whose salary is not public)? And why not go public with details of her intended transition, rather than raise speculation?

• According to a statement from Keesling: She has been “finishing projects in the office” and “working on a transition plan.” (She did not respond to our requests for comment.)
• But here’s an interesting coincidence: In her job as city clerk, Keesling is eligible to receive a pension after 10 years. And her start date as clerk? January 1, 2016, according to City Spokesperson John Perlich. This means: By staying on as clerk, “she will be vested at the end of this year and will be able to draw a pension at age 65,” he says. 
• What makes this particularly troublesome is that: Keesling’s Republican cohorts at the state level have been critical about how cities are spending money, encouraging them to “tighten the belt.” Meanwhile, Keesling’s clerk salary (and potential pension) are city expenses. As Republican Party Chair under Gov. Mike Braun, she’s supported a reduction in state funding to cities like Fort Wayne in property tax reforms this year, too. This has resulted in Fort Wayne City Council cutting a whopping $8.6M from its already tight 2026 budget– with more cuts expected in 2027.

So… what does a clerk do anyway? Is this a conflict of interest? And why does it matter? 

Horton shares her findings in a special report – for paid subscribers only.