Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


Genoa Township has named its new clerk.

The Board of Trustees held a special meeting Wednesday night and voted to appoint Trustee Rick Soucy to the position.

Former Clerk Janene Deaton resigned citing a “toxic environment” after almost one year in the role – which the township denies. The board accepted her resignation – effective immediately – at Monday night’s regular meeting. The township solicited applications for the appointment after Deaton’s resignation letter was initially received. Five applications were received.

People in the audience Wednesday, including some of Deaton’s defenders, had expressed a desire for someone with election experience. It was pointed out Deaton did not have any experience either. She brought a real estate background.

The only legal qualifications is that a clerk must be an eligible, qualified voter and must reside in the township.

Legally any appointment, discussion, and vote just has to be done during an open meeting – and Wednesday’s meeting qualified.

Per law, the Board had 45 days to appoint a person to fill the position. However, it was stated the township needs to have a clerk in order to function, pay bills, and sign checks – which is a duty that cannot be delegated. Payroll is also due this Friday.

It was clarified that Soucy will serve until the General Election in 2026 – not the remaining term of the former clerk. Whoever is elected in the November 2026 election would then serve the remaining two years and just go back into the regular election cycle. The Clerk has sole authority to appoint their own deputy.

Supervisor Kevin Spicher asserted they need someone to bring stability, calmness, and professionalism to the office. He later added they need someone to be willing to learn, be consistent, and again - bring calm to the office. Spicher said the focus is on somebody that has experience in managing and assembling staff. He noted they have one year to learn and prepare for an election, and there’s been a lot of help from experienced clerks offered – adding “keep in mind, this is not something we chose”.

Spicher went on to say that he is “not a fan of carrying things out in the media”, but there were more mis-statement of facts at Wednesday’s meeting thus, the township has published a letter to residents. a link is provided, and it is attached.

Treasurer Robin Hunt noted the clerk position has a wide variety of responsibilities – not just elections, and she felt Soucy was the most qualified. She stated he’s been with the township a year now, is familiar with the budget and chart of accounts, and has worked elections.

Trustees Bill Rieber and Candie Hovarter were opposed, and both had expressed past support for Deaton.

Hovarter said she couldn’t understand what happened with Deaton – people elected her to be the clerk and it was really troubling what was going on. She was quickly reminded that Deaton quit. Hovarter said “and now Rick gets her job...I think it’s terrible”. Hovarter then hastily declared she would run against Soucy in the Primary Election – to which he responded “great”. Other board members commented they were surprised and further questioned why Hovarter didn’t apply seeing that the position was open. Hovarter is the Outreach Director for the Western Oakland Meals on Wheels Program and has no known election or clerk-related background.

The board will next need to appoint a trustee to the board, to fill Soucy’s old seat, and has 45 days to do so. That position will be posted, once Soucy takes his oath of office.

Spicher said he expects to have a far more robust response to that position, clarifying for the clerk role “I do feel that our well was poisoned a little bit by information that was put out that may or may not have been factually accurate”.

may or may not have been factually accurate”.

As for Soucy, he brings a broad range of current and past business experiences, including as the CEO of a Pacific Rim industrial chemical company, and a senior partner in an international advertising company. He currently serves as a division manager of National Write Your Congressman, a non-partisan legislative research firm”. He’s also worked election polls. Soucy has been a board-appointed member of the township Election Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals, and alternate member of SEMCOG.

Soucy also brings extensive community involvement. He currently sits on the Board of Directors of the Brighton Center for the Performing Arts, and is a member of both the Brighton Optimist Club and the Greater Brighton Area Chamber of Commerce.