The Worth Township Board of Trustees will be holding a special meeting Friday, March 13, at 1:00 p.m. to consider accepting the recent resignation of their clerk.
According to Trustee Steve Kovac, township clerk Jennifer Marshall resigned by letter to the board on Thursday, March 12. The move follows repeated calls by the board and township citizens for Marshall to resign, as well as township treasurer Jennifer Woodruff, in light of a recent audit finding alleged negligence of duties and unauthorized compensation by the clerk and treasurer, which led to significant financial losses for the township.
Marshall’s resignation also follows a hearing Wednesday by the county election commission, wherein the commission unanimously approved the recall petition language against Marshall and Woodruff.
Should the board accept Marshall’s resignation, state law dictates that they have 45 days from the resignation date to fill the position by appointment. The Michigan Townships Association notes that no one can write or issue checks if either a clerk or treasurer resigns. Further, the MTA states that “if a clerk or a treasurer resigns, the deputy’s appointment also ends [and] until a new clerk or treasurer is appointed, no checks, payments or disbursements can be issued. In other words, no checks can be written, and no paychecks or bill payments can be made.”
The township board is scheduled to meet again on Wednesday, March 18.
