Manager candidate interview continues Sept. 2

The Laketown Township Board of Trustees will continue its interview process with manager candidate Stephanie Fox at a special meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025.

The meeting is at the township hall, 4338 Beeline Road.

The agenda and information packet with Zoom information is available here.

This will be the third interview with Fox, the former Ionia County administrator and current executive assistant to the mayor of the City of Kentwood.

She was chosen as a finalist from a field that started with 45 applicants for the manager position and was narrowed to four for interviews on July 15.

The board voted 4-1 on July 21 to begin contract negotiations with Fox pending a review of her references. Supervisor Steven Ringelberg was the only “no” vote.

The township and Fox negotiated a tentative 2-year contract setting Fox’s annual salary at $110,000 with the possibility of a bonus up to $15,000 if she meets agreed-upon objectives set by the board in her first 30 days. The proposed contract also includes added vacation days requested by Fox.

The contract has not been approved by the board.

On Aug. 6, Ringelberg said the board received additional information regarding Fox, obtained additional records from her time as Ionia County administrator acquired through the Freedom of Information Act, and received phone calls from several Ionia County residents that raised questions about Fox. Ringelberg passed those callers to the township’s attorney for follow up. 

The packet on the website includes those documents and summaries from the township attorney.

Ringelberg said Fox should have the chance to respond to those questions.

Though the board decided to interview only Fox, candidates Howard Fink, former manager of Park Township, and David Grumney, Graafschap Fire Department captain, are still considered finalists.

Lease purchase agreement

Also at the special Sept. 2 meeting, the board will discuss a 15-year lease purchase agreement to acquire a new pumper/tanker for the Graafschap Fire Department.

MCL 123.721 authorizes a township, by resolution of the board of trustees, to enter into contracts to purchase real or personal property to be paid for in installments for up to 15 years. The vehicle is expected to be delivered in September. 

The board passed a resolution in October 2024 authorizing the purchase of a new pumper/tanker for a price not to exceed $600,000 and also approved paying the vendor $160,000 as a down payment. The amount the board may finance is $409,743, with annual payments due on April 1 of each year for 15 years of $40,081.31 beginning on April 1, 2026. The interest rate is 5.55 percent. Under the proposed lease purchase agreement, the township may pre-pay the lease purchase without penalty beginning in 2029.