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Lapeer County names Theresa Connolly and Jane Beckwith to board of canvassers after divided vote and public comment
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Summary
The Board of Commissioners appointed Theresa Connolly (Democrat) and Jane Beckwith (Republican) to two expiring seats on the county board of canvassers. Commissioners cast public roll-call preferences from party-submitted lists; the Republican slot produced a split preference that culminated in a roll-call appointment of Beckwith after procedural討
The Lapeer County Board of Commissioners appointed Theresa Connolly as the Democratic member and Jane Beckwith as the Republican member of the county board of canvassers in votes taken during the meeting.
Theresa Connolly received the most Democratic votes during a public roll-call of commissioners and was appointed to the seat that expires Oct. 31 (term length stated on the nomination sheet). For the Republican seat, commissioners' roll-call preferences produced three leading names; the board ultimately moved to appoint Jane Beckwith and confirmed her by roll-call vote.
Why it matters: The board of canvassers reviews and certifies county election matters; appointments to the canvassers are partisan and often attract public interest because they touch directly on election administration and public trust.
How the selection proceeded: The clerk distributed lists of party recommendations (three names from each committee) and described a two-stage process: each commissioner publicly stated one Democratic and one Republican nominee; if a candidate received four or more votes they would be selected; otherwise the board would proceed to further rounds, dropping the lowest vote-getter.
The Republican selection generated debate among commissioners about incumbency and qualifications. Commissioners discussed that John D'Angelis, an incumbent who was not present, was well-regarded for his legal knowledge; some commissioners argued incumbents should be reappointed while others supported fresh appointments. After preference votes, Jane Beckwith received three votes, John D'Angelis two and William Hamilton two. A motion to appoint Beckwith then passed on roll call (votes recorded as: Hagedon/Hegeman yes; Zender yes; Kemp yes; Eisley no; McMahon no; Wise yes; Howell yes), producing a 5yes, 2 no tally.
Public reaction and comment: Multiple members of the public addressed the board during the second public comment period raising concerns about local boards and elections. Public speakers urged transparency in library and GLTA governance and expressed frustration that an experienced incumbent was not reappointed to the canvassers. Leslie Gets, who had recorded a recent Lapeer Township meeting, defended editorial decisions about meeting video; Rose Navar and other residents said they were surprised and disappointed by the canvasser selection. Kelly Gola and Susan Haught (Metamora) warned that library governance issues and director recruitment could be affected by local appointments and asked commissioners to consider community concerns when making appointments.
What the board recorded: The appointment of Theresa Connolly and the appointment of Jane Beckwith were entered into the record. The board noted additional upcoming vacancies (including on the Community Mental Health Board and Region 5 and the library board) that will be handled at future meetings.
