Ryan Hunter was recently appointed to the Ypsilanti Township Board of Trustees. While few are questioning the quality of the choice, the process by which he was elected was questioned by residents during the public comments.
When Jimmie Wilson Jr.’s seat needed to be filled, 18 people applied. The applications or even a list of candidates were not made public, and there were no public interviews. There are no rules requiring that, and Ryan Hunter was appointed on a 5-to-1 vote.
Conversely, when Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor City Councils fill vacancies, they publish all applications online and perform public interviews.
Hunter was humbled by the appointment but appreciates the concerns raised about the process.
"Is there another way? Maybe we can revisit that in the future. But, right now, there is a vacancy that needs to be filled and needs to be filled quickly, so that we can continue on making Ypsi Township the place that it is, which is a great place."
Hunter is a former staff member with Rep. Debbie Dingelland a member of the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority board. He says some of his top priorities are to focus on at-risk communities and to help revitalize the Ecorse area.
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