On November 20, before what was described as a jubilant crowd, the new township board of trustees was sworn in. With the election past, both newly elected and re-elected board members gathered to say their oaths of office.

The township announced this on Nov. 22 in a press release to local media. It said in part:

“A jubilant crowd of well-wishers greeted the swearing-in of a new Board of Trustees in Scio Township Hall at noon on November 20, 2024.Township resident and longtime County Clerk Lawrence Kestenbaum administered the oath to incoming Township Supervisor Jillian Kerry, Treasurer Ryan Yaple, Clerk Jessica Flintoft (incumbent), and Trustees Kathleen Brant, Kathleen Knol (incumbent), Judy DeVooght Moenck, and John Reiser (incumbent) after gently advising them to assume goodwill on the part of those who disagree with them. The oath, taken by all government officials in the state, right down to the temporary workers who help run elections, obligates each person to uphold the Constitution of United States and of the State of Michigan.”

This announcement marks a new era for the township board after the past four years, which were very contentious at times. In the announcement, Mary Gillis, Newsletter Editor for Scio Township, titled it “Turning the Page in Scio Township.”

The announcement further said, “Such serious obligations were a motivating factor for some to run for township office, as evidenced by the agenda for the Board meeting that followed the swearing-in ceremony. The first order of business for this new Board was implementing a series of good-governance reforms. The passage of an omnibus resolution cancelling six resolutions of past years that had eroded a normal segregation of duties was greeted by rousing applause.”

“Expectations for this group are high,” resident Rob Pattinson was quoted as saying in a cautious tone before the meeting began.

In the announcement, Gillis said, “many residents remained to observe the ensuing meeting in an apparent effort to determine whether their hopes for a more civil and effective Board of Trustees would be fulfilled. Judging by remarks made during the final Public Comment period, those hopes were justified. More than one speaker gleefully anticipated less-exciting Board meetings to come, happily absent the controversies of the recent past.”

Photo: From left to right: Washtenaw County Clerk Lawrence Kestenbaum, Supervisor Jillian Kerry, Trustee Kathleen Brant, Trustee Judy Moenck, Treasurer Ryan Yaple, Trustee John Reiser, Trustee Kathy Knol, Clerk Jessica Flintoft. Photo courtesy of Kristy Aiken