Members of the Sumpter Township Board of Trustees took time to acknowledge the performance of Township Treasurer Vincent Warren during their meeting July 26.
Trustee Don La Porte told the board that he felt that recent board meetings had failed to acknowledge many of the positive things taking place in the township rather than many things “not relevant to the business that needs to take place when we come in here each week.” LaPorte said he wanted to take the opportunity to focus on the accomplishments of Warren who was appointed to the treasurer's position in 2021.
In that time, LaPorte said, “Mr. Warren and his team in there have reduced the delinquent water bills by $232,000. That's huge and something that should be talked about.” LaPorte reinterated that a reduction by that amount of money in one department is something that “should be talked about in a positive manner.”
“Thank you. You are doing a fantastic job,” he told Warren, who was appointed by a unanimous vote of the trustees following the death of Treasurer James Clark.
Warren, who has lived in Sumpter since 1958, has earned a master's degree in counseling and a baccalaureate degree in liberal arts. He is employed as a peer advocate for veterans at the Department of Veteran Affairs in Ann Arbor.
During the primary election last week, he was defeated in his bid to move on to the General Election Nov. 8 by candidate Sheena Barnes. He received 376 votes while she garnered 446 votes.
Barnes, 62, was appointed as a trustee in 2018 for a partial term. She has previously sought election to the township offices of trustee, clerk and treasurer.
The partial term expires Nov. 20, 2024.
