Paul Zeller of Kimball Township has been selected by the St. Clair County Board of Commissioners to fill the District 5 vacancy following a special meeting Thursday, Sept. 18.
The appointment comes after Robert Fielitz resigned Aug. 29, citing “protest and deep disappointment” in a letter that criticized the board for allegedly lacking transparency. Fielitz, who represented District 5, had unseated long-time chairman Jeff Bohm in 2024 before being elected that November. The district includes the city of St. Clair and the townships of East China, Kimball (Precincts 2, 3, 4) and St. Clair.
The board began the Sept. 18 meeting with 14 applicants for the vacancy after two of the original 16 withdrew their names. Commissioners went through the list one by one, nominating and voting on who should advance. By majority support, six finalists were chosen: Zeller, Jared Shirkey, Robert Usakowski, Dave LaDuke, Anthony Ferriell and Jamie Haslem.
Each finalist gave a short introduction, answered a set of prepared questions and responded to follow-up questions from commissioners before the board moved to its final vote.
Commissioners voted by ballot twice. In the second round, Zeller secured the necessary majority with four votes, after initially receiving three in the first round.
“I’m very excited and I appreciate the responsibility and look forward to getting to work. We have work to do,” Zeller said after the vote. He added, “Looking forward to helping build a strong community, have information, make wise decisions and to position our community to awesomeness.”
Zeller currently serves as lead chaplain at the St. Clair County jail and works as a design engineer with the St. Clair County Road Commission. During questioning, he acknowledged the potential conflict of interest with his road commission position and said he would resign if necessary.
A graduate of Michigan State University, Zeller earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering before returning to school and earning a Master of Divinity.
His appointment becomes effective Monday, Sept. 22. A swearing-in ceremony will be scheduled at a later date.
Contact reporter Andy Jeffrey at ajeffrey@gannet.com.
This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: St. Clair County Board of Commissioners selects new District 5 member
Reporting by Andy Jeffrey, Port Huron Times Herald / Port Huron Times Herald
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