Farmington Officials Set Sept. 9 Deadline for Appointment Applications

If you're interested in being appointed to serve on Farmington city council, you have until Sept. 9 to turn in an application.

During a special meeting Thursday at , officials set the deadline, which will allow them time to interview candidates and appoint a successor to council member Michael Wiggins. will be formally accepted on Aug. 15.

Under the city charter, officials have 60 days to appoint someone to fill out the last two years of his term, or the seat will remain vacant until the next election.

City attorney Thomas Schultz said the charter doesn't define a specific appointment process, but only states that the council determines the process for filling vacancies.

"The real important thing remains the 60-day time limit," Schultz said. "If you miss that, you lose the opportunity to make the appointment."

Council member Valerie Knol asked whether officials could hold a special election that would happen concurrently with the Nov. 8 general election "so voters are only going to the polls once."

"I don't think the process allows for that," Schultz said.

As of today, 12 residents have pulled petitions to run for three city council seats; only incumbent JoAnne McShane has returned hers. Council member Valerie Knol has announced she won't run. Incumbent David Wright's seat is also up; he was appointed in February of 2007 before winning election in November of that year.

Wright suggested that the city clerk's office notify all of those who pulled petitions about the deadline and process for seeking an appointment.

Officials expressed concern over what would happen if someone who is running for council was appointed, and then won a seat in the November election. Schultz said he would research that question and report back at the council's Aug. 15 meeting.

While they have until mid-October to make the appointment, officials set the application deadline in early September to allow time for candidate interviews. If a large number of people apply, city manager Vince Pastue said, officials could decide to establish a means to determine which applicants to interview, by reviewing applications.

"I'm sure you may know many of the candidates," he said.

Mayor Tom Buck wondered whether there would be "any logic" to not accepting Wiggins' resignation until the middle of September, pushing the appointment window into mid-November.

"The problem is, when you seat the new council, they basically have a few days to make a decision, or you go to a special election," Pastue said.

It is also unlikely that an appointment will be made before absentee ballots go out in late September. City clerk Sue Halberstadt, in answer to council questions, said she is not able to delay distribution of the ballots. Once she receives them from Oakland County, the ballots go through a testing process and then must be distributed.

"I technically can't hold them," she said.

She said a large number of ballots come back to the clerk's office shortly after they're sent out.

Anyone wishing to apply should contact the city clerk's office, 248-474-5500, ext. 2218, or stop by city hall, 23600 Liberty St.