Fayette Township is struggling to fill its vacant clerk position, a seat left empty since late January following intense public backlash over a massive local solar energy project.
As of Monday, no candidates have filed to get their names printed on the August 4th primary ballot.
Township officials are faced with the vacancy as they deal with community tension surrounding the proposed Heartwood II solar installation. The controversial 1,350-acre development has prompted large numbers of residents to turn out for township meetings to voice their opposition to the project.
With the standard filing deadline now passed, anyone hoping to take the job must run as a write-in candidate. Interested residents will need to contact the township at 517-849-2351 and file the required forms by 4:00 pm on July 24th.
If no write-in candidates step forward by the July deadline, the township board will have 45 days to appoint someone.
Should that effort fail, the township would be required by law to hold a special election in May 2027. Under Michigan election rules, Fayette Township would have to pay the entire cost of that election out of its own local budget.
