Orion Township residents will have to wait at least two more weeks before they find out who their new township trustee will be. Township board members deadlocked on a decision Monday night.
The board was to have chosen a new trustee to replace Eric Wilson at the July 21 board meeting. Wilson resigned from the board last month to take over as Oakland County Commissioner for Orion and Oakland Townships, replacing former commissioner Larry Obrecht who is now head of Oakland County Animal Control. The new trustee will finish out Wilson’s term, which expires on Nov. 20, 2004.
A full board was present at the July 21 meeting, but no candidate for the trustee position could garner enough support to win the vote. Clerk Jill Bastian nominated candidate William Wilsher, a Buckhorn Drive resident.
“We all did our homework…We all had time to reflect over what we thought,” Bastian said. “I ran for office because I was involved…I look at candidates who have been involved, not just on one issue but several.”
Bastian said Wilsher has proven himself, and was the only candidate out of 16 who listed the budget as one of his top issues.
“We all know besides setting policy, that’s the main thing we do,” she said.
However, a vote on Wilsher deadlocked at 3-3. Trustee Richard Tomczak nominated planning commission member John Garlicki, who at a 2-4 vote did not have enough support. Supervisor Jerry Dywasuk nominated Matthew Gibb, a Lakewood Drive resident with experience on the zoning board of appeals. Dywasuk’s nomination was unable to garner support and could therefore not be put to a vote.
Trustee Michael Fetzer nominated Algene Drive resident Alice Young, with the vote failing 2-4. Tomczak asked the township attorney if failed motions could be brought back up for a vote later in the meeting, and she said they could.
“I’m trying to figure out why we’re putting it off,” said Bastian. “These people expect us to make a decision now, that’s what they are here for.”
Tomczak asked the board to reconsider the nomination of Garlicki.
“One of the things I liked, and only two people said this, is that they’re team players,” he said. “That’s the type of person people in Orion Township are looking for.”
Tomczak said he also liked the fact that Garlicki put on his resume that he was a “consensus builder.”
“He started off representing students…at Grand Valley…and he’s currently on the planning commission,” Tomczak said. “I know the clerk brought up the master plan, well here’s someone who worked on it.”
Bastian said a number of candidates said they were “committed to the community,” but then failed to show how they were involved.
“Garlicki came on at the end of the master plan,” she added. “I hope he’ll grow as a member of the planning commission, but I’m seeing way too many whatever zero votes coming out of the planning commission that we didn’t have in the old days.”
Dywasuk said out of the 16 candidates Wilsher and Garlicki were in his top three, but he still thought Gibb was the right one for the job.
“I’m concerned we were going to (appoint) someone as a reward,” he added.
“We have a lot of people on our boards now who all have the same background and the same training,” said Bastian.
“I disagree,” Tomczak said. “I think it fairly represents the community.”
A motion to reconsider Garlicki failed in a 2-4 vote. Bastian asked the board to reconsider Wilsher.
“He’s been here 14 years, and he’s been involved heavily in the community those 14 years,” she said. “What are we afraid of?”
The vote to reconsider Wilsher failed 3-3. Bastian asked the board to consider postponing a decision until the Aug. 4 meeting.
“I think this issue is too important for a special meeting,” she said.
The board voted to postpone the decision until the next meeting on Aug. 4.