James Mazurek has been officially sworn into office as a member of the Northville Schools Board of Education.
His election was not without controversy as the Nov. 3 vote resulted in a tie vote of 7,856 votes each for Mazurek and candidate Kimberly Campbell-Voytal. A tie-vote random draw, supervised by the Wayne County Board of County Canvassers on Nov. 25, selected Mazurek although Campbell-Voytal requested a recount by the county board the same day.
A three-day hand recount of the ballots again resulted in a tie vote total between the two candidates. Members of the Wayne County Board of Canvassers voted 2-2 on Dec. 22 not to initiate a second random-draw process which had been requested by Campbell-Voytal. Under Michigan law, the Board of County Canvassers is in charge of canvassing votes and certifying the winner in a school board election, according to district officials. Mazurek presented the secretary of the Northville Schools Board of Education with a certificate of election issued by the Wayne County Clerk.
Members of the board of education have no authority or discretion to reject a certificate as untimely or invalid, absent a court order to the contrary, noted Superintendent of Schools Mary Kay Gallagher. Mazurek was the only candidate who presented a certificate of election for the fourth vacancy, prior to the start date of the term of office. As such, district officials received the Acceptance of Office Form submitted by Mazurek, and administered the oath of office as required by state law.In the event of litigation, and/or further action by the Wayne Board of County Canvassers to complete their statutory duties, Gallagher said in a prepared statement, the Northville Public Schools Board of Education members and the school district would welcome a definitive outcome to the election. She said the district and board members are prepared to “welcome and work with either of the two candidates, each of whom have equally strong community support given the results of the election.”
Gallagher added, “The 2020 election serves as a reminder of the importance and value of every vote. Northville Public Schools is fortunate to be led and guided by a dedicated board of education, and to have a strong candidate pool of individuals willing to serve in this capacity. We are grateful for the strong support of our school community as we partner together to meet the needs of our students and our families.”
