Vacant city commission seat leads to deadlock

BIRMINGHAM — The seventh seat on the Birmingham City Commission remains vacant as the rest of the commission’s members reached a deadlock in the appointment process.

The interview process to appoint a new commission member to fill former mayor pro tem Anthony Long’s seat began on April 13 during a workshop held for the purpose of conducting interviews with the applicants. There were eight who applied: Richard Wetherhold, Ilir Doresi, Beth Correa, Gordon Thompson, Brian Gordon, Debra Horner, Mary E. Jaye and Doug White.  Correa withdrew before the meeting.

At a regular commission meeting that followed the workshop, the two applicants who were nominated by seated members were Horner and Jaye.

 

Reaching a deadlock
A regular Birmingham City Commission meeting immediately followed the workshop session of April 13. The motion to nominate Jaye was supported by Commissioner Andrew Haig, Commissioner Brad Host and Commissioner Bill Kolb. The motion to nominate Horner was supported by Commissioner Kevin Kozlowski, Mayor Clinton Baller and Acting Mayor Pro Tem Therese Longe. The commission voted unanimously to move the matter to the next meeting, on April 27. Following the discussion and vote on the vacant commissioner seat, Longe was approved by the commission as the Acting Mayor Pro Tem at the April 13 meeting.

When it came time to vote on April 27, the commission remained split 3-3. The deadlock remained through the May 4 meeting.

“I would be honored to nominate Debra Horner. As I have said before, I think all the candidates who applied are excellent. I think that the city is blessed to have such talented people willing to donate their time and effort, but I really just think that it would be a real shame if we missed this opportunity to have somebody with such deep expertise about municipal policy, about how it interacts with state law. I just think that this is too perfect an opportunity, and I really hope that we avail ourselves of it,” Kozlowski said at the May 4 meeting.

“I would like to once again support Mary Jaye. Birmingham is a truly special place — a charming, walkable city with tree-lined streets, outstanding schools and community spirit that is the envy of communities across Michigan. But keeping Birmingham special in a changing world requires thoughtful, experienced leadership. That is exactly what Mary Jaye brings — a perspective on problems and approaches to solving problems that are additive to this commission, not duplicative,” Kolb said at the May 4 meeting.

“I’m going to politely take issue with the idea that there are sides here. I think what there is, instead, is a fundamental difference of opinion about the role of the commission in city government and the person best suited to fill this role,” Long said at the May 4 meeting.

According to Birmingham City Charter at Chapter III Sec 27, “A vacancy in any elective office shall within thirty days after such vacancy occurs be filled by appointment by a majority of the members of the commission, or of the remaining members of the commission when the vacancy is in the commission…”

Since it was not decided by May 4, the commission discussed and voted on how they were to proceed.

At the Birmingham City Commission meeting on May 4, Haig made a motion.

“I’d like to make a motion that we table future discussion of a replacement city commissioner until such time that it is brought up by a commissioner following our three-step process to place it back on the agenda, all voting must be with six members present, and a simple majority vote is required for an affirmative vote,” Haig said.

This motion was unanimously approved by the commission.

 

The candidates
Jaye is a retired automotive executive Stellantis (and previously for Chrysler Corp., DaimlerChrysler and FCA). She is an alternate member of the Historic District Commission and a board member of Solutions for Adult Interdependent Living. She has been a resident for 33 years.

“My interest in serving on the Commission hasn’t changed. I am obviously disappointed that a consensus could not be reached, but I will continue to work on the Historic Districts Commission, stay involved with the critical topics facing the city and look forward to the general election in November 2027.  I also want to thank all the residents that supported my nomination and hope that I will have the honor to serve them officially in the future,” Jaye said in an emailed statement.

Horner has lived in Birmingham for 34 years and works for the University of Michigan as a research program manager and lecturer. She is the Birmingham Environmental Sustainability Committee Chair and League of Women Voters Oakland Area Voter Guide and Vote411 Coordinator.

“The deadlock among the Commissioners regarding the nomination was certainly disappointing, but the process itself has been very interesting. Each of the six sitting Commissioners spent time talking with me one-on-one about the role, and all of them clearly care deeply about Birmingham and its residents. They inspire me to continue to want to serve the city. So while we wait for consensus to build regarding the open seat, I plan to continue to support the Commission’s work as chair of the Environmental Sustainability Committee and to provide insights from my work at U-M’s Ford School of Public Policy,” Horner said in an emailed statement.