Plymouth trustee resigns citing ‘deceitful’ nature’ of administration
Plymouth Township Trustee Mark Clinton attended his final meeting as a member of the board July 28, when he submitted a fiery resignation letter citing the “deceitful nature” of Supervisor Chuck Curmi and two other trustees.
Clinton criticized the conduct of Curmi and the two unnamed trustees who, he said, “knowingly excluded (him) from the process of selecting a new trustee during the most recent township meeting. The decision appeared to have been made behind the scenes and without my involvement,” Clinton said in his resignation letter.
Board members on July 21 appointed former planning commission Bill Ickes to fill the unexpired term of former Trustee Jen Buckley. Her July resignation letter cited a family relocation out of the township making her ineligible to serve.
“I believe the citizens deserve a process that is open, transparent, and collaborative,” Clinton said of Ickes’ appointment which was approved by a 5-1 vote. Clinton cast the lone dissenting vote.
"I wish Mark Clinton well and Plymouth Township thanks him for his service. We will be accepting his resignation on Aug, 5," Curmi said in a statement. He added the replacement process would follow usual procedure.
"We're going to follow the legal process that's been around for many years, most likely, but it's up to the board. The board makes a decision on who's the replacement. The way it works is the board nominates somebody, we deliberate and then we vote," Curmi said.
Clinton’s resignation is the fourth departure from the board of trustees announced this year. Township Clerk Jerry Vorva resigned in March but was not replaced until May 12 when the board members hired Kim Gaedeke. Treasurer Bob Doroshewitz recently announced his plans to leave office later this year, citing health concerns.
Vorva is currently embroiled in a lawsuit filed against fellow trustee John Stewart citing a hostile working environment in township hall and the “threatening” behavior of Stewart during meetings.
Clinton, who served as township treasurer from 2016 through 2021, criticized Curmi’s leadership citing what he described as the lack of meaningful progress during the current administration.
Former Supervisor Kurt Heise also had harsh words for the current administration and claimed in a social media post that in addition to the four board members, the township deputy police chief, the finance director, the ordinance officer and FOIA coordinator had all resigned. Heise claimed in a social media post that the long-serving township attorney also resigned “rather than have his ethics compromised.”
Critics of Heise’s administration, however, noted that township residents faced a significant tax increase and a new tax administration fee during those years. Heise, critics said, unsuccessfully attempted to move the Northville Downs racetrack to Plymouth and had publicly encouraged Meijer to sue the township. Critics also cited accusations of intimidation tactics, higher costs to residents and questionable spending practices during the years Clinton described in his letter as “making meaningful progress.”
“Serving the residents of Plymouth Township has been an honor, and I sincerely appreciate the trust they placed in me,” Clinton said.
