Antioch Township board faces decision on interim supervisor
A former Antioch Township trustee who narrowly lost in the April election for township supervisor could be appointed that post later this week, but he faces potential competition from two current township officials.
The township board is scheduled to meet Thursday to decide who will replace former Supervisor Steve Smouse, who died in November, 16 days after being diagnosed with cancer.
The three names most often mentioned for the interim post are township Clerk Anita Merkel Dyer, longtime Trustee Judith Davis and former Trustee Tom Shaughnessy. The person chosen will serve until a special election in 2019.
Shaughnessy's name is especially intriguing. After serving one term as trustee, he made a bid to unseat Smouse in the spring election but lost by 73 votes.
"It's a very unusual situation," Shaughnessy said. "If the board decides to nominate and elect me as supervisor, I'd proudly serve the township."
Should the vote of township trustees end in a tie Thursday, the township clerk would be allowed to cast a vote. If a candidate still doesn't have a majority, the board would be considered "fractured" and a special annual meeting would be convened Jan. 3 to elect an interim supervisor.
At the special meeting, township residents would be allowed to nominate a replacement and vote on Smouse's replacement.
"I'm hoping the board can come to a consensus on Dec. 14," Dyer said. "There are four people on that board, and I'm hopeful three of them can come to a decision."
Dyer said she is aware her name has been floated as a candidate for the supervisor's office.
"I think the board is doing a nice job of working through this, and hopefully there will some kind of conclusion at the December meeting," she said.
Davis has served as temporary supervisor since shortly after Smouse's death Nov. 5. She said she has been "sorting things out and getting things done."
"We've never had to deal with a situation like this before," she added. "So, right now, we are trying to stay on top of everything and keep the township running."
Davis said she would be "honored" to be chosen interim supervisor. She said she hopes the board can come to a consensus Thursday and avoid the cost of a special annual meeting.
"If we have to hold a special meeting, it would become a bigger mess than what we have now," Davis said.
"I don't want to see it go that way."
Trustee Steve Turner said he hasn't made a final decision on whom he wants in the position. However, he noted that Shaughnessy stepped up to run for the position earlier this year.
"Certainly Anita Dyer is qualified, and Judy has been on the board longer, but both had the opportunity to put their hat in the ring to run for supervisor and didn't," he said.
"A lot of people want the job now, but very few ran for it in the last election."
Trustee Peter Grant said he hopes the person appointed will continue the tradition of fiscal responsibility that Smouse set forth, and not take the position "as a way to give jobs to a bunch of their buddies."
"We should do everything we can to ensure this process is pristine, transparent and ethical as possible," he said. "That's what I'm hoping for. When all is said and done, we (need) a selection that everyone will be happy with."