Birmingham — The city commission has an open seat, and its members are split over who should fill it.
The commission has held multiple 3-3 votes over candidates to replace former Mayor Pro Tem Anthony Long, who resigned from the commission in April because he moved out of town.
The result is a commission that will remain at six members, creating the possibility of more tied votes on issues, until its members vote in Long’s replacement or an election is held.
“Nobody’s going to change their mind,” said Commissioner Brad Host.
Before the deadlock, the commission narrowed a field of six candidates to Debra Horner and Mary Jaye. Horner is a senior program manager at the University of Michigan’s Center for Local, State and Urban Policy; Jaye is a former executive at Chrysler. Host noted both candidates have served on city committees.
Commissioners Andrew Haig and Bill Kolb joined Host in supporting Jaye. Host noted that Jaye stayed with Chrysler through multiple bankruptcies and helped guide the company through them.
“The point being, she’s been rolling up her sleeves and putting her hands in the mud as a career,” said Host, who questioned Horner’s real-world experience at UM. Host also said he didn’t see Jaye’s comparative lack of public policy expertise as a detriment.
Mayor Clinton Baller and commissioners Therese Longe and Kevin Kozlowski have backed Horner. Baller said Horner “literally studies the policy questions” the city faces on a daily basis.
“Anyone who thinks we need better ‘benchmarking’ based on better data and who thinks we should follow ‘best practices’ ought to support Debra Horner,” Baller said in an email to The Detroit News.
The six commissioners had deadlocked votes over the two candidates at their April 27 and May 4 meetings. They have not taken the issue up since, according to meeting minutes.
“We left open the possibility of reopening the application process. (But) I would also say it is unlikely that we would do so,” Baller said.
If the open commission seat remains unfilled, it would be filled through the November 2027 election.
Despite the deadlock over the empty seat, Baller said the commissioners have generally worked together well. He said most of the votes among the six commissioners have been unanimous.
Birmingham gained regional attention in April when it enacted a six-month moratorium on short-term rentals following a shooting at an Airbnb earlier that month. The city has also been in the spotlight for its ongoing litigation over the ownership of The Community House.
mbryan@detroitnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Birmingham commission deadlocked on vacant seat despite having finalists
Reporting by Max Bryan, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Max Bryan, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
