Will board appoint Bushey following Munro's election?

Commerce Township Clerk Dan Munro garnered overwhelming support from voters in the Tuesday, Nov. 6 general election, but in a strange political twist that developed this summer, that wasn’t what Munro wanted.

Munro, a Republican and former township trustee who was appointed to the clerk position, spent the past several months urging Commerce voters to elect his challenger, independent candidate Janet Bushey.

Munro said in July that he plans to return to private sector work as chief information officer for Community Choice Credit Union. Munro announced his decision after the deadline to remove his name from the Nov. 6 ballot had passed.

“I encourage fully for people to vote directly for Janet Bushey,” Munro said prior to the election.

Despite his support for Bushey, Munro received 66 percent of the vote (10,809 votes) to Bushey’s 33 percent (5,376 votes), according to unofficial election results.

Munro said prior to the election that if elected, he would resign from the clerk position effective Jan. 1, 2013 and recommend that the township Board of Trustees appoint Bushey. Should Munro follow through on his promise, the township Board of Trustees will have 45 days from the date of his resignation to appoint a new clerk.

Township Supervisor Tom Zoner said Munro hasn’t filed a letter of resignation yet, but said his last day as clerk would be Dec. 31.

“When the (Board of Canvassers) is done, it will show that he won the election, even if he didn’t want to win,” Zoner said.

Once Munro leaves the position, Deputy Clerk Vanessa Magner would act as interim Clerk until a final board decision on an appointment is made. If no appointment is made in the 45-day window, the governor could call for a special election to fill the position.

Zoner said the township board could avoid a special election by either appointing someone immediately, or by taking applications for the position and choosing a person to appoint from a field of candidates.

“They can appoint a person or not,” Zoner said. “If they do, then it’s done. If they don’t, then they have 45 days to review, or the governor can call for a special election.”

Bushey, who currently serves as the township’s human resources and finance director, ran as an independent candidate during the general election. Munro has said the Board of Trustees could realize a potential savings for the township by appointing Bushey because she could fill the clerk position, as well as continue performing her current duties.

Munro said prior to the election that there’s no guarantee that the board will appoint Bushey. Zoner also said it’s unknown what action the board will take.

“I can’t really speak for the board,” he said. “It’s pretty inconsistent. I wouldn’t know anything until a board meeting anyway.”