There’s a merry-go-round occurring among Dorr Township officials, as three are leaving and a one new one is coming aboard.
The new treasurer is Sheila Reitz, who lives on the south side of the Dorr-Byron Center township border. She succeeds Laurie Perry, who announced last month that she is moving to Arizona and her last day will be Nov. 30.
Reitz told the Township Board she is willing to serve early in her term as a deputy treasurer because she needs to become acclimated to what’s involved in doing the job.
“I’d like a grace period. I still have a lot to learn,” she explained.
She said she started working at Buchanan Township and later moved on to Bridgman.
Perry served as treasurer not long after the 2020 election, when she was appointed, and she ran for the post without opposition a year ago.
Two other township officials are leaving as well.
Jim Martin is retiring next month from the deputy supervisor’s job. He was appointed treasurer in 2014 and had served until 2020.
Deputy treasurer Amber Jenkins also is stepping down to take a full-time job elsewhere.
Trustees John Tuinstra and Chandler Stanton weren’t particularly keen about the way the new treasurer was selected, saying a larger group should have interviewed her.
“I didn’t want the process limited to a couple of phone calls,” Tuinstra said.
Stanton, who pointed out the treasurer oversees a$4 million budget, so there should have been a more robust interviewing process. He cast the only negative vote.
