MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. – After nearly a month of waiting, a new clerk for Macomb County was finally named.
Kathy Smith was named the official interim Macomb County clerk. The vote was 11-0.
Smith worked fork the county clerk's office from 1984 to 2012. She later worked as a judicial secretary for the 16th Circuit Court.
"My experience with the departments and employees of the Clerk's Office and Register Deeds makes me uniquely qualified to get these offices running efficiently," Smith said.
The interim county clerk was supposed to be appointed on April 13, but Chief Judge James M. Biernat Jr. pushed the decision back to Monday due to the large number of applicants for the job.
"Given the judges' busy schedules and the surprising number of applicants to fill this vacancy, it just isn't realistic for the judges to review the resumes and cover letters submitted," Biernat Jr. said. "In fairness to all of the applicants, I want to be sure that the judges have adequate time to review the resumes carefully."
Biernat Jr. announced in March he appointed longtime Macomb County employee Kathy Brower as the temporary acting clerk. The vacancy needed to be filled immediately to avoid serious disruptions to Macomb County government and the Macomb County Circuit Court.
Michigan Law (MCL 201.15) provides the Chief Judge of the Circuit Court with authority to make a short-term temporary appointment to fill the office of County Clerk.
Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel admitted he wanted the new interim clerk to be someone who does not plan on running for the non-interim job in the fall.
The interim clerk will only serve for a couple months, and the permanent clerk will be appointed in the fall, after the election.
RELATED: