Deadlock remains on city commission vacancy

By Grace Lovins

For the second consecutive meeting , Birmingham City Commissioners were deadlocked in their selection of a new commissioner to fill the vacancy left by former mayor pro tem Anthony Long, with a tie between candidates Mary Jaye and Debra Horner during the Monday, April 27, meeting, mirroring the circumstances of the meeting two weeks prior.

The city received eight applications total to fill the commission’s vacant seat, with one candidate withdrawing at the last minute. During a workshop before the regular meeting, and during the regular meeting, on Monday, April 13, commissioners interviewed the seven applicants before narrowing their nominations to Horner and Jaye.

Horner currently works as a University of Michigan municipal research program manager and serves as chair of the city’s environmental sustainability committee. Jaye is a retired Stellantis executive and a member of the city’s historic district commission.

In his nomination for Horner, commissioner Kevin Kozlowski echoed what he said in his initial nomination, saying that he remains convinced Horner’s experience and connections present a special opportunity to the city.

Similarly, commissioner Bill Kolb again nominated Jaye, saying he believes her perspective would be an addition to the commission rather than a duplication of existing experiences and that she understands the fabric of Birmingham and needs of its residents in a way that is deeply personal.

The vote for Horner ended in a 3-3 split with commissioners Kozlowski, Therese Longe and mayor Clinton Baller voting in favor of her appointment. Jaye’s nomination garnered support from the remaining three commissioners, Kolb, Andrew Haig and Brad Host, also ending in a 3-3 split vote.

A number of residents attended the meeting and spoke in favor of Jaye and Horner for the appointment.

Per an opinion written by city attorney Mary Kucharek and included in the meeting packet, the commission was required to move on to the next item if they were deadlocked after one round of voting on the issue. She wrote that the matter will be taken up again at the Monday, May 4, meeting, and if there is no appointment during that time, the city manager and attorney will provide suggestions for moving forward.

Kucharek did note that the city charter did not address the issue of a possible special election prior to the November 2027 regular election for the city commission.