As of Tuesday evening (January 4th), three persons had submitted a ‘Citizen Interest Form’ to express interest in appointment as mayor in the City of Three Rivers.
Former Mayor Allen Balog resigned from the post, effective at noon December 21st, in anticipation of assuming his new responsibilities as a member of the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners on January 1st.
According to City Clerk Lindsay Howes, the following citizens have turned in forms as part of the process to fill the vacancy:
- Ken Baker of 329 South Grant Avenue, former police chief and city commissioner
- Tom Lowry of 53 ½ North Main Street, former mayor
- Gary Doyle of 331 Portage Avenue.
In action December 21st, the Three Rivers City Commission set this coming Friday (January 7th) at noon as the deadline for citizens interested in filling the remainder of Balog’s term – until November – to submit an interest form. Howes will assemble the forms received by the deadline and e-mail them to commissioners Friday afternoon. It is expected that the commission will make a decision on the appointment of the new mayor during its next meeting on Tuesday, January 18th.
The City Charters says that, “If a vacancy occurs in the office of any Commissioner, including the Mayor, or a Municipal Judge, the Commission shall, within thirty (30) days thereafter, fill the vacancy until the Thursday following the next regular City election.”
Until the vacancy is filled, Commissioner-at-Large Wendy Shank is presiding at commission meetings in her role as ‘Mayor Pro-Tem,’ a post to which she was elected during the annual organizational meeting November 8th.
If a vacancy occurs in the office of any Commissioner, including the Mayor, or a Municipal Judge, the Commission shall, within thirty (30) days thereafter, fill the vacancy until the Thursday following the next regular City election.
To secure a ‘Citizen Interest Form’ for the mayoral position, visit the city website at www.threeriversmi.org or, to access it directly, click here.
