LETTER: Vote for Option B and hire qualified candidates
I’m writing to encourage all Greenwood voters to vote YES for Option B in the March 11th Township Election, and also attend the Annual Meeting that evening. What is Option B? It is a legal term for the option of appointing (interviewing and hiring) qualified candidates for the Treasurer and Clerk positions, versus voting for candidates in a popularity contest who may or may not be qualified.
We need to appoint a Clerk and Treasurer based on their qualifications, their ability to perform defined duties, and the willingness to work with all Township Officers. If and when Option B passes in March, the Treasurer’s job description will immediately be written, posted, candidates interviewed, and a Treasurer hired. The person elected as Treasurer in the March election will step aside. The current Clerk will serve out her term, and the same process will occur to fill that position. They would be accountable to the Board of Supervisors for their performance and service to our Township.
If Option B unfortunately is not passed, a Treasurer will be elected and will take the position. I want to make sure the position is filled by someone capable and willing to perform the necessary duties. The person must put the township and community ahead of personal goals and agendas.
That’s why I have filed to run for the open Treasurer position. I am asking for your support as both a candidate and a supporter of Option B. I believe it’s time for positive change and a much brighter vision for our township’s future. I look forward in the coming weeks to having more conversations about Option B, informing you of my credentials, and sharing my vision of the future.
In the meantime, I invite every Greenwood Township voter to attend a monthly Board Meeting before the March election. They are scheduled for the second Tuesday of each month: Jan 14 and Feb 11 at 6:30 p.m. at the Township Hall.
It’s important to have a clear and unbiased perspective on the current state of our local government. If you can’t attend, watch the video replays available on the Township Facebook page. The upcoming March election will ask us to make important decisions. Our votes will determine how the Township will operate, who we trust to lead, and ultimately define the vision of Greenwood’s future. It’s imperative for us to be well-informed voters.
Below is a letter from Steve Fenske, the attorney from the Minnesota Association of Townships (MAT). It was published in the Greenwood Township Board minutes Feb. 9, 2021. The letter came after a failed vote on Option B in 2020. Mr. Fenske explains the rationale for townships making the change. It also sheds light on how it might directly apply to our current township state of affairs.
It’s long and detailed – and worthy of the time to read. It may answer many of your questions.
This letter raises the issue of Option B — Appointed Clerk/Treasurer. Again, I have been told that in last year’s election, some individuals suggested MAT advised against adoption of Option B.
This is not the case — MAT expressed no opinion about this matter. We were consulted about the process and details of Option B and stated this issue is left to the voters. To avoid any misstatement of information from MAT on this issue, I want to summarize the law and policy related to Option B.
Town voters have several optional forms of township government, one of which is the appointed clerk or treasurer, called Option B. Many townships have adopted Option B to make the clerk and/or the treasurer appointed — it is not rare by any means, but a majority of towns still use an elected clerk. Regardless of the options selected by other towns, the purpose of township government is to allow for local control, and Option B provides that control.
When towns adopt Option B, it is usually for one of two reasons. First, is when a town has trouble finding a clerk or treasurer from within the town. One advantage of an appointed clerk is that the person holding it no longer needs to be a resident. This gives a larger pool of people to fill the job.
The second reason is because of conflict between the board and the clerk or treasurer. The Board of Supervisors is the governing body of the town — the clerk and treasurer are not supposed to govern or ‘run’ the town. The duties assigned to clerks and treasurer are ministerial in nature — they are given a set of tasks to complete and they complete them. There is little to no discretion in those office. For example, a clerks’ obligations to administer elections are the same in either method. The supervisors cannot interfere with those duties. Another example, the clerk holds the town’s data but doesn’t have ownership control over it. All data requests are supposed to be decided by the Board — not the clerk.
On the other hand, Supervisors have a lot of discretion in their duties. This is important because the clerk and treasurer should understand the limited role they play in the town. The clerk and treasurer are not supposed to work against the supervisors using their offices.
This is complicated by the fact that elected clerks and treasurers are not employees of the town so they do not “answer to” the board. If an employee took town information without board approval, for example, giving it out to people, the employee would be disciplined or dismissed. An elected officer cannot be dismissed by the board. The problem is that a person with power to interfere with the board refuses to respect the rules placed by the board, and there is no consequence other than to elect someone else, reduce the officer’s pay, or adopt Option B.
The advantages of Option B are: (1) larger pool of candidates to fill the job; (2) clerk/treasurer ‘answers to’ the board and is less likely to cause conflict; (3) Board can review and manage the clerk/treasurer’s administration of duties; and (4) duties that are not assigned to an elected clerk/treasurer by law can be made part of the job. The downside to Option B is that the voters remove their power to elect the person to the clerk or treasurer position. The voters retain the power to select town supervisors and if the choice of appointed clerk or treasurer is inappropriate, the blame may fall to the Board that hired those officers. In other words, there is still accountability to voters.
The decision of whether to adopt Option B is left to voters. Given Greenwood Township’s tumultuous history and refusal of prior officers to stay in their lanes, adopting Option B would be an effective means of restoring good governance and management with the board and clerk position.
After several years of observing Greenwood Township, it is clear there are deep divisions among some people concerning the town’s governance. Greenwood’s voters need to choose a direction for their local government by selecting its supervisors and then selecting a clerk and treasurer who will work with the Board. Continuing to select officers that are prone to conflict has not helped the township, and has cost it a great deal of time, money, and credibility.
I hope you can see the possibilities that choosing Option B can bring to our community. The Clerk and Treasurer have very important roles. Option B has the potential to eliminate our current disfunction, focus the Clerk and Treasurer on the deliverables of their jobs, and, most importantly, require them to work cooperatively in support of our Township Board and community
As a member of this community, I fully support voting in favor of Option B.
Paul Thompson
Greenwood Resident