(WXYZ) — He’s one of the most powerful politicians in Southeast Michigan, and Oakland County Board of Commission Chair Dave Woodward has said publicly that his side job with a gas station chain is not a conflict of interest.
Watch Heather's full investigation in the video player below:
But the 7 Investigators have learned that records show Woodward appears to have used his position with other county employees when it comes to a possible Waterford Sheetz location.
“I'm being 100% transparent and ethical,” Oakland County Commission Chair Dave Woodward told the 7 Investigators during an on-camera interview in August, as he explained that everything he’s doing for his outside job is above board.
Related Video: Oakland County commission head defends Sheetz side job, denies conflict of interest
“Every elected official is duty-bound to make decisions that are important in the best interest of their community and their role, and I do that as an elected official. My private business is separate from that,” said Woodward.
Even though Woodward makes $82,500 as Board Chair, he also owns two companies: Woodward & Associates L.L.C. and a political consulting business.
Through his Woodward & Associates, Woodward has been appearing at public meetings on behalf of the Sheetz gas station chain. The Commission Chair can be seen in meeting video sitting next to a Sheetz real estate manager during a January Farmington Hills city council meeting. That city council voted the plan down, and now Sheetz is suing the city in Oakland County Circuit Court.
In a video provided to the 7 Investigators by people in attendance, Woodward was also spotted in February at a Royal Oak public hearing on another Sheetz development that was later approved.
Web Extra: Video shows Oakland County commission chairman at meeting in Royal Oak
“How much money are you getting from Sheetz,” asked 7 Investigator Heather Catallo during an August 14, 2025 interview.
“I’m not going to discuss my private business affairs,” said Woodward.
“I don't think what Dave Woodward is doing is ethical, it's just not,” said Waterford Township Supervisor Anthony Bartolotta.
Bartolotta says Woodward called him earlier in the summer to set up a meeting with Sheetz.
“You want to get along with all your fellow elected officials in the county. So, I was open to meeting with him,” said Bartolotta.
“Did he say to you when he set up the meeting or at the meeting, ‘I'm not here in my official role?’” asked Catallo.
“No, he never said that. He never said that at all,” said Bartolotta. “Everybody knows who Dave Woodward is. But what shocked me is that he came as a consultant for Sheetz.”
Bartolotta says Sheetz was asking about redeveloping two sites on Highland Road with a former bank and medical buildings on them, right next to the Oakland County International Airport.
The 7 Investigators have obtained the site plan that was submitted to Waterford Township for that proposed Sheetz gas station and drive-through restaurant on Highland Road. The plan has a clearly marked place where the developer added a curb cut or egress onto county property. That curb cut would link the potential Sheetz parking lot to Patterson Parkway, which is the entrance and exit road for the airport.
In order to get that curb cut, the property owner would need Oakland County to approve an easement.
“My work with Sheetz or any of my clients is completely separate from my role as a County Commissioner,” said Woodward.
“Have you ever instructed anyone in the county to do anything related to any of the Sheetz properties?” asked Catallo.
“Sheetz decisions to move forward are decided at a local level. Planning, zoning, permitting, site approval, all of those things are decisions that are made at a community level. And so, I don't play a role in that,” said Woodward.
But records reviewed by the 7 Investigators suggest otherwise.
Those records from late July show Oakland County Aviation Manager Cheryl Bush told another county employee that “We have agreed to allow egress access to Patterson Parkway to a neighboring landlord for development of a Sheetz gas and service station.”
Bush went on to say, “Chairman Woodward has been a strong proponent of this, along with support from [Deputy County Executive] Sean Carlson. (Honestly, this is strongly against my better judgment but I have been overruled.)”
After we reached out to Oakland County about Woodward and Carlson’s alleged role in this, county leadership offered us an interview with Cheryl Bush, the county airport boss who said she had been overruled in the Sheetz deal.
“It would appear that you didn't want to grant this easement, and that it was clear who was involved. So, who overruled you?” asked Catallo.
“At that point, I had always stood firm that I was not in favor of it,” said Bush. “When I said I was overruled, I think that it was probably someone above me.”
“Can you tell me who that was?” asked Catallo.
“Well, I was reporting to Sean Carlson,” said Bush.
Bush said the county has historically not granted easements around the airport due to safety concerns. In fact, she says she previously denied an easement request from the same property owner for a hotel several years ago.
“Trying to be good neighbors, we were willing to entertain the thoughts, but I always felt respected in my position here to hold true for what I believe would be in the best interest of safety and security for the airport,” said Bush.
Woodward declined to talk to us on camera about the airport easement but told the 7 Investigators that when it comes to Sheetz, “I haven’t been part of anything involving the county.”
That does not match what Bush told us or what she told the other county employee in those records.
“Has Dave Woodward talked to you at all about this project?” asked Catallo.
“Dave Woodward has not talked to me under any pressure on this project. I knew that Dave Woodward was interested in the project, but he has also expressed to me, always stay true to what is best for the airport,” said Bush. “He made introductions to the Sheetz folks.”
“To you?” asked Catallo.
“Yes” said Bush.
Bush says when Woodward first talked to her about the project, he did not disclose that he was getting paid by Sheetz.
“I wasn't even aware of that until months into my conversations with the property owner,” said Bush.
Bush says the meetings about the Waterford site started nearly a year ago and included the Sheetz representatives early on in the process. A Sheetz spokesman has said they’d been careful to avoid a conflict of interest with Woodward, and said they’re “not engaged in any business, applications, or requests before the Oakland County Board of Commissioners.”
But in order to get an easement, the request would have to be approved by the County’s Airport Committee. Dave Woodward is a member of that committee, and ultimately the Board of Commissioners would have had to approve the land transaction.
Records reviewed by the 7 Investigators indicate the egress access was being discussed internally to proceed to the Airport Committee, which has not met in several months. Emails show the meetings have been consistently cancelled since early Spring.
Once the 7 Investigators started asking Oakland County officials questions about this issue last week, the county announced to us on Thursday they are not going to grant the easement.
The property is still being considered for possible re-zoning in Waterford Tuesday night. It’s not clear if losing the easement approval will change the plans for the property.
Sheetz released this information to us:
· The project at 6600 Highland Road has always been led by the property owner, not Sheetz.
· As part of Sheetz’s due diligence into that property-owner–driven process, Dave Woodward’s involvement was limited to making one early introduction to Cheryl L. Bush at the airport.
· Dave Woodward did not participate in any meetings between Sheetz and the airport.
· Dave Woodward has not had any conversations with the property owner regarding the easement.
· There have not been any Oakland County Commission or committee meetings to discuss an easement for this site. Dave Woodward has had no role in any decision regarding an easement and would have recused himself if there had ever been a discussion.
Sheetz is not engaged in any business, applications, or requests before the Oakland County Board of Commissioners, and we continue to take proactive steps to ensure there are no conflicts of interest.
The 7 Investigators reached out to the property owner as well; a representative said they had no comment.
If you have a story for Heather Catallo please email her at hcatallo@wxyz.com
