After three interviews with candidate Stephanie Fox, it seems Laketown Township has found a new permanent manager.
During a special meeting Sept. 2, the Laketown Township Board of Trustees voted — for a second time — to enter into a contract with Fox. Once again, the vote was 4-1 in favor of the hire, with Supervisor Steven Ringelberg dissenting.
Fox is currently executive assistant to the mayor in Kentwood. She previously spent more than a decade as administrator of Ionia County.
A third interview was scheduled with Fox after concerns about her work history were voiced by former county commissioners in Ionia.
The interview on Sept. 2 lasted about 50 minutes. Afterward, trustees held discussions for about 40 minutes before voting to amend and enter the contract with Fox.
‘I always made the decision I felt was best’
Fox’s third interview was conducted in an open format, with trustees free to speak. Most questions came from Ringelberg, though Treasurer Jim Johnson asked the first, wanting to know why people from Ionia County have been “coming out of the woodwork” to caution against her hire.
Fox attributed the warnings, in part, to employees she’d fired for “serious offenses,” and their continuing connections in Ionia.
“When you let someone go in a small community, it’s always a family or a friend connection,” she said. “I always made the decision I felt was best for the county and taxpayers.”
Ringelberg told Fox he felt she inaccurately filled out a survey in her employment application. Fox checked “no” on a question asking if, at any time in the last seven years, she’d been investigated by an organization, including a government entity with investigative authority.
In 2018, according to reporting by The Ionia Sentinel-Standard, Fox was investigated by the Ionia County Board regarding claims she’d created a hostile work environment.
Fox told Ringelberg one commissioner spurred the investigation, not the full board.
Another question asked if Fox ever received a complaint about violating state or federal civil rights laws. Fox answered no. Ringelberg said a hostile workplace complaint falls under Title VII, and that Fox should’ve said yes.
Fox said the complaint stemmed from a cell phone policy in the office, which she didn’t think qualified as a civil rights complaint.
“We have other applicants who, it’s hard, but they mark ‘yes’ and then they explain,” Ringelberg said. “It troubles me that you (didn’t).”
Ringelberg later pointed out that Fox agreed to a statement in the survey saying, in part, that any “false response, misrepresentation, or omission of relevant information … may disqualify you from eligibility, selection, or appointment.”
“Hopefully you understand that I didn’t do anything on purpose,” Fox said. “It was my understanding of it.”
Ringelberg also questioned Fox over statements made by two former Ionia County commissioners — Brenda Cowling-Cronk and Ally Cook. Laketown attorney Ron Bultje spoke with both parties and provided a written summary to trustees, available in the packet for Sept. 2.
“They’re pretty harsh about you,” Ringelberg said.
Both former commissioners told Bultje that Fox resigned “in lieu of discharge” and didn’t have the county attorney’s support in firing a road department employee shortly before her resignation.
“Most of the things that (Cowling-Cronk) states in her letter are not factual,” Fox said. “She says that I was fired. I wasn’t fired. I resigned my position. … There’s no way that I would have terminated a long-term employee without backing by the county attorney.”
Fox said the county attorney would corroborate both stories. Bultje called the sides “so diametrically opposed” it shouldn’t be difficult to check.
Fox referenced the claims in her closing statement, saying part of the reason she’d agreed to participate in a third interview was to “clear her name.”
“When you look at the evaluations … you will see the comments that describe me,” Fox said. “They (aren’t) any of the comments that (Cook) or (Cowling-Cronk) used to describe me. I am professional, I’m calm, I’m a hard worker. All of those things are in the evaluations. Any of the words they use to describe me (aren’t) in my evaluation.”
‘She (displayed) a lot of guts’
Trustee Mike Koeman began discussions by making a motion, supported by Trustee Mark Timmerman, to approve the contract that had previously been negotiated.
“I would like to move forward,” Koeman said. “She came in here and was very calm … (we) hit her with a lot of hard questions; she didn’t lose her cool.”
Johnson said he was impressed not only that Fox showed up, but at how she handled the interview.
“One, I was surprised she had the guts to be here,” he said. “Two, I give her a lot of credit for showing up. She (displayed) a lot of guts to stand in front of us in kind of a firing squad approach. I think she did pretty well.”
Ringelberg, however, remained concerned about the survey questions.
“I think she lied on her application for employment with Laketown Township,” he said. “That bothers me.”
Ringelberg made a motion to table a vote until 5 p.m. Sept. 3, during a workshop meeting. He wished to have Bultje contact the attorney in Ionia County to ask whether Fox resigned to avoid being fired, and if she’d been supported in her decision to fire a longtime employee.
“We can clear up two things with one phone call,” Ringelberg said. “I’d like to suggest maybe we pause a beat; we’re back here tomorrow night.”
Bultje and Koeman were both satisfied with Fox’s lack of hesitation and confidence the attorney would support her stance.
“She answered in a way that made me feel comfortable,” Koeman said.
Ringelberg’s motion to table ultimately failed 2-3.
Trustees then discussed placing additional performance reviews in the contract. A motion to add a 90-day and six-month review was approved unanimously, followed by approval to enter the contract.
‘Four people own this’
After public comment, but prior to adjournment, Ringelberg made a statement distancing himself from the decision.
“Four people own this,” he said. “If you broke it, everybody’s going to know.”
“Five people. We’re a team,” Timmerman responded.
“Four people own it. I will do everything I can to make her a success — but I definitely do not own it,” Ringelberg said.
— Contact reporter Mitchell Boatman mboatman@hollandsentinel.com.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: ‘A lot of guts’: Laketown appreciates Fox’s candor, moves to hire her a second time
Reporting by Mitchell Boatman, Holland Sentinel / The Holland Sentinel
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