PLYMOUTH TWP. — With the township’s clerk seat sitting open, two members of the board say they’re ready to step in and take over the job.
Trustees Sandy Groth and Jen Buckley both say they’ve expressed interest in the role, which currently pays an annual salary of $120,000.
The Plymouth Township Board of Trustees is expected to discuss the vacancy, created by the resignation of Clerk Jerry Vorva, at its April 21 meeting.
“With the mid-term elections approaching, it is critical to appoint an individual who possesses a strong understanding of our internal processes, municipal business practices, election procedures, and applicable election law,” the April 21 agenda says, noting the new clerk will receive the identical salary and benefits package of the outgoing clerk.
Buckley said she notified Supervisor Chuck Curmi on April 20 that she would like to be considered for the clerk position.
“I feel a strong calling and duty to step up and serve our township,” Buckley said. “We have a duty to make sure this (2026) election is run…with integrity”
Buckley, a U.S. Air Force veteran who said she runs multiple small businesses, said her experience on the board and her working relationship with clerk’s office staff would allow her to transition into the role quickly as the township prepares for upcoming elections.
“There’s a lot of delegating and leadership requirements there that I feel I’m well suited for,” she said, adding that maintaining a positive working environment is critical.
Buckley and Groth both ran as Republicans in the 2024 election.
Groth says she has the experience and knowledge for the role, and points to decades of election administration in the clerk’s offices in Livonia, the city of Plymouth and Plymouth Township.
“We need someone qualified to run elections and run the clerk’s office,” she said. “I am qualified and I am willing to step up.”
Groth’s history in Plymouth Township includes a role as deputy clerk under Jerry Vorva, from which she was fired in 2019.
She and Vorva offered differing accounts of events leading to the termination.
Vorva, speaking to Hometown Life from Greece, said Groth was let go following an investigation into how a FOIA request about a union matter was handled, alleging that confidential employee information was improperly released despite guidance from the township attorney.
“Information was given out on other employees that shouldn’t have been given out,” he said.
But Groth said she was fired after questioning how the clerk’s office was being run and pushing back on direction from outside the office.
She also disputed claims that she violated FOIA or HIPAA, saying she was “never trained” in FOIA and was not subject to HIPPA.
“I have integrity. I am honest and I follow the law,” she said.
She and Vorva both acknowledge a separation agreement was signed indicating she waived any right to be re-appointed or rehired by the township, but both note the agreement does not apply to an elected position.
“Constitutionally, I don’t think it would hold up,” Vorva said. “You can’t stop someone from running for political office.”
Groth, who unsuccessfully challenged Vorva for the clerk’s job in the 2020 Primary Election, said her interest in the role today is driven by what she sees as a need for experienced leadership as elections approach.
“It’s not about me,” she said. “It’s about my community and the fact that I have the knowledge and I am willing to step up and do what needs to be done.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether the board would choose between Groth and Buckly, or if other candidates would be considered, as well.
If a replacement had been named prior to April 21, the new clerk would have been required to run for election in the 2026 Primary and General Elections.
Since the appointment will come after the state’s filing deadline, the new clerk will serve the remainder of Vorva’s term, which expires in 2028.
Because the board has not yet accepted Vorva’s resignation, he remains in the position and continues to be paid.
Contact reporter Laura Colvin: lcolvin@hometownlife.com
This article originally appeared on Hometownlife.com: Groth, Buckley eye $120,000 Plymouth Township clerk job
Reporting by Laura Colvin, Hometownlife.com / Hometownlife.com
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
