Deadline for applicants is Feb. 27, 2025
By Barb Pert Templeton
Just when it seemed things were finally moving steadily forward in the Marine City offices and at the commission table, another unexpected change occurred.
Commissioner Brian Ross resigned from his seat on the commission.
The resignation seemed to catch his fellow commissioners by surprise and several encouraged him to reconsider his decision. Ross indicated he would be leaving his commission seat at the conclusion of a Jan. 9 meeting but his formal letter of resignation wasn’t dropped off at city hall until Friday, Jan. 17.
In his letter Ross’ said he put much thought and consideration into his decision and one specific reason he cited was the fact that he recently returned to his employment in an office after several years working remotely minus a long commute. He also stated:
I would be remiss to say it was not in part due to what I feel was unequal treatment of commissioners, and not allowing the public to hear arguments that were not necessarily popular with others on the commission. For the public to hear and understand arguments surrounding issues and decisions before any democratic government is what makes it work. Hiding that from the public lacks both transparency and fairness. (Ross was referring to the commission considering allowing MDOT to put in a free Road Diet on S. Parker Street in the city – he favored the idea and prepared a detailed report for the Jan. 9 meeting but wasn’t allowed to present it after a majority of the commission voted to call the vote without further delay. A majority of the commission voted it down.)
Details for applicants
The commission had to formally accept Ross’ resignation letter before the vacancy could be posted by the city. Initially several commissioners sought to table the issue to give Ross more
time to reconsider but when that failed, ultimately, all six commissioners agreed to accept his decision and did so at a Jan. 23 meeting.
Brian Ross, now a former Marine City Commissioner, literally threw up his hands at a Jan. 9 meeting after his request to do a report on a Road Diet for S. Parker Street was pushed aside by several commissioners who simply called for the vote. A majority of the commission voted the plan down.
On Jan. 24 City Clerk Jason Bell released a letter stating there was a vacancy on the city commission and applications and resumes were being accepted at city hall.
The term for the seat expires in Nov. 2028. All applicants must have two years of residency in the city and be registered electors.
The compensation for commissioners and the mayor was just increased in December, something that hadn’t been addressed for decades. The mayor got a bump from $1,200 to $3,000 annually and the commissioners went from $800 to $2,000.
The commission currently meets on the first and third Thursdays of the month at 7 p.m.
Bell said once all the applicants are gathered the commission will likely conduct interviews with candidates and then be prepared to appoint one to the open seat at its regular meeting set for Thursday, March 6 at 7 p.m.
O’Brien thanks Ross for service
Commissioner Sean O’Brien took time out during his commissioner privilege at the Jan. 23 city commission meeting to thank Ross for his service to the city.
“I really want to extend an incredible gratitude to former Commissioner Ross here; I joined this body a little bit over a year ago and Brian was a pretty instant friend and mentor on the complicated processes we have to follow here,” O’Brien said.
He went on to note that he was struck with Ross’ dedication to detail and putting everything he had into the process even prior to his own appointment to the commission. O’Brien said he doesn’t feel things will be the same without him and his work will be missed.
O’Brien also suggested the commissioners should take some time and look at what it took for them to lose such a dedicated fellow commissioner.
“What led to a process of losing a good commissioner as opposed to something we faced in the past where we had been struggling with a bad faith actor up here,” O’Brien said. “I would ask you all to take some time and think about how we lose someone so skillful and dedicated.”
Mayor Jennifer Vandenbossche also thanked Ross for his time spent on the commission.
First elected in 2020, Ross ran unopposed in the Nov. 2024 general election and picked up 864 votes or nearly 30% of the votes cast. The win brought him a new four-year term, one that was to expire in Nov. 2028.
