Berrien County commissioners approve consent calendar, elect two county canvassers

At a Berrien County Board of Commissioners meeting (date not specified), commissioners approved the consent calendar by roll call and elected two county canvassers by written ballot.

The consent calendar passed after a motion by Commissioner Pitchford and support from Commissioner Harrison. The clerk called the roll; Commissioners Kerwin, Ridley, Harrison, Ott, Pitchford, Gabriel and Elliot voted “yes,” giving the board a unanimous vote of seven members present to approve the consent items.

The consent calendar included multiple resolutions and routine items referenced during committee reports and earlier discussion. Items mentioned on the record as part of upcoming or consent resolutions include: approval of an abandoned road in Hager Township; an extension of the road department’s contract with Andrews University for lab services; a memorandum of understanding between the road department and the airport to construct a berm on Euclid Avenue to limit snow drifting; an application from animal control for a grant from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development; and a resolution (P2510328, referenced on the record) to hire a financial services director. Specific text of each resolution and individual vote counts for those resolutions were not read into the public record at the time of the consent vote and are therefore not specified in this account.

Following the consent vote, the board conducted the county canvassers’ election. The board elects two canvassers — one Republican and one Democrat — for staggered terms that run through Oct. 31, 2029, to perform canvassing, recounts and inspection of the county’s ballot containers. Commissioners voted by written ballot; ballots were required to bear the name of the voting commissioner. The board announced that Keith Lubbers was selected as the Republican canvasser and Greta Van Bridal will continue as the Democratic canvasser. The clerk said both appointees’ terms will expire Oct. 31, 2029; other candidates on the ballots were designated as alternates.

Commissioners had earlier paused some actions while the meeting briefly lacked a quorum; Commissioner Haught arrived later, restoring a seven-member quorum before the formal consent vote. The meeting record shows minimal debate on the consent items; several items had been previewed in committee reports earlier in the session. The board also acknowledged Jake Littaker as the county’s incoming financial services director in the meeting; his appointment was handled via the consent calendar resolution referenced above.

No formal roll-call or tabulated vote totals for the canvassers’ paper-ballot election were read into the record; the clerk announced the winners and term expirations on the public record.