Filing deadline nears for May election

The clerk’s office in Highland Township is already ordering supplies in preparation for the upcoming special elections to select a new District 2 county commissioner.

The candidate filing deadline for that race is a little less than two weeks away.

In November, Oakland County Clerk/Register of Deeds Bill Bullard was re-elected to serve as the county commissioner for District 2, which represents the village of Holly, as well as Highland, Holly, Springfield and Rose townships. However, with the election of former Clerk/Register of Deeds Ruth Johnson as Michigan’s secretary of state in November, Oakland County Circuit Court judges appointed Bullard to take her place, leaving his county commission seat vacant. That position is being temporarily filled by Robert Hoffman, a Republican.

According to Highland Clerk Mary McDonell, two special elections have to be held to fill Bullard’s former county commissioner position — a primary election on May 3 and a general election on Aug. 2. She said she expects each election will cost the township around $15,000.

Anybody interested in running for the county commission seat must live within the district. To get on the ballot, a petition with a minimum of 50 signatures and a maximum of 100 signatures must be submitted to the Oakland County Clerk’s Office, along with an affidavit of identity. For those not interested in collecting signatures, a fee of $100 can be paid instead.

The candidate filing deadline for those interested in the county commission seat is 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 8.

The Highland Board of Trustees recently passed a resolution to request reimbursement from the county for the costs of the special elections. As of Thursday, Jan. 20, the township hasn’t received a response.

McDonell said it will be interesting to see who applies to get on the ballot. In addition to several “rumblings from interested candidates,” McDonell also said that Hoffman stated his interested in running for the position in an e-mail.

County commissioners serve two-year terms and earn $32,093 annually.