PLYMOUTH TWP. — After weeks of deadlock, bitter public infighting and failed votes, trustees appointed a new clerk Tuesday night who said she hopes to help the board “move forward together” after a divisive process.
The Board of Trustees voted 5-1 Tuesday night to appoint Kim Gaedeke, who works for the University of Michigan’s Opioid Research Institute and previously held leadership roles with the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs.
Trustee Sandy Groth cast the lone no vote and walked out of the meeting after Gaedeke was sworn in.
Gaedeke said after the meeting that she plans to begin working in the office “as soon as possible,” but also wants to be respectful to her current employer and wrap up responsibilities at the University of Michigan.
She said she hopes to help move the board past weeks of public infighting and division.
“My plan is to lead with positivity,” Gaedeke said. “The more that we can be respectful and lead by example … maybe others will follow.”
Gaedeke said she hopes the board can “move forward together” and said she is “honored to have the support and confidence of the board.”
“This is an incredible responsibility,” she said, “I look forward to earning the trust of the community.”
After she was sworn in as clerk, Gaedeke swore in Deputy Clerk Paula Jefferson, who agreed to stay on and help Gaedeke through the transition and upcoming elections.
Jefferson was a central figure in the debate during recent weeks because several trustees argued her experience running the day-to-day operations of the clerk’s office – especially with elections approaching – made keeping her on the job important to ensuring things run smoothly.
After the meeting, Jefferson said she now plans to stay “at least through 2028,” and hopes some calm can be restored to the clerk’s office after the upheaval following the resignation of Clerk Jerry Vorva.
“It’s been stressful,” Jefferson said. “I just want to come in and do a good job for the community. Hopefully the stress will diminish somewhat. We’ve got to hit the ground running to get going with our elections.”
The appointment came after trustees formally accepted the resignation of Vorva, who left office March 13 but remained on the payroll while the board worked to line up a replacement.
Supervisor Chuck Curmi said accepting the resignation without a clerk ready to step in could have left the township unable to pay employees or vendors.
The board had previously deadlocked between Groth and Trustee Jennifer Buckley, then opened the process to outside candidates.
After interviews with Buckley, Groth and four outside candidates at a May 5 special meeting, including one who withdrew after witnessing what he called the board’s ‘dysfunction,’ Gaedeke emerged as the likely compromise candidate.
With Trustees Jennifer Buckley and Mark Clinton and Treasurer Bob Doroshewitz backing Gaedeke, Curmi and Trustee John Stewart – both who had previously supported Groth – agreed to support the appointment as well, with Curmi urging the board to make the vote unanimous “as a healing move.”
Stewart headed the call.
“We need to go onward and forward,” Stewart said. “This was a very low point in the history of Plymouth Township.”
Many citizen comments from a group of residents who regularly speak at township meetings were raw and deeply personal, with speakers accusing board members of dishonesty, political retaliation and character assassination in speeches that at times veered into personal attacks – even references to board members’ health issues.
A few others pushed back on the tone of comments.
“Some of the residents are saying that the board’s toxic, but I think a lot of these people speaking every single week are the toxic ones,” resident Donna Broderick said. “That’s just so off limits to talk about other people’s health issues … it’s none of anyone’s business.”
Gaedeke was appointed to serve the remainder of Vorva’s term, which expires in 2028. If she wishes to remain in the position beyond that, she would need to seek election to a full term in 2028.
Contact reporter Laura Colvin: lcolvin@hometownlife.com.
This article originally appeared on Hometownlife.com: Plymouth Township trustees appoint new clerk after weeks of infighting
Reporting by Laura Colvin, Hometownlife.com / Hometownlife.com
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