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Richardson to resign as sheriff

Change is coming sooner than expected to the Lenawee County Sheriff’s Department.Sheriff Larry Richardson announced Thursday he will resign Dec. 8 to take over the Madison Township supervisor job he won in Tuesday’s election.“It’s never been my intent to cause hassles, to cause problems,” Richardson said at the county commission’s criminal justice committee meeting.Richardson said he could wait until Jan. 1 to become township supervisor as his term as sheriff expires. He did not explain why he decided to be sworn in to the township office on Dec. 8. But the term of current supervisor Ted Dusseau expires Nov. 20 and the board would be without a supervisor at its Dec. 9 meeting if Richardson does not take office by then.The state constitution prohibits Richardson from being sheriff and township supervisor at the same time, said Lenawee County Prosecutor Jonathan Poer. Article 7 of the Michigan Constitution says a county sheriff “shall not hold any other office except in civil defense.”“I’m not in favor of leaving the county without a sheriff,” said commission chairman Jim Van Doren, R-Tipton. He asked Richardson to submit a letter of resignation in order to trigger the process of appointing a replacement to complete his term through December.Richardson said he had not decided whether to submit a resignation letter.Poer said state law designates the county prosecutor, clerk and probate court judge as a committee to appoint a sheriff in case of a vacancy.Sheriff-elect Jack Welsh said he will ask to be appointed and start the transition to his new administration three weeks early. Welsh won election as sheriff on Tuesday, defeating Richardson’s former undersheriff, Gail Dotson.“To me it only makes sense to go ahead and appoint me to the office,” Welsh said. “I’ll be ready, yes.”While he could be sworn in on Dec. 8, Welsh will actually not be present full time to run the department. The Michigan Sheriff’s Association is putting on a Dec. 8 to 19 training program for newly elected sheriffs that Welsh will attend. He will still be available if any major issues come up, Welsh said. Command officers in the sheriff’s department can manage day-to-day operations, he said.Madison Township Clerk Arnold Harper said he does not foresee any problems for the township if Richardson delays taking office as supervisor until Dec. 8. The township government departments all have qualified people to continue operations after Dusseau’s term ends on Nov. 20, he said.An overhaul of the county’s emergency management department is also in the works as a result of Tuesday’s election. Department coordinator James Anderson is to become undersheriff for Welsh, who is also leaving the department where he worked part time since retiring as a sheriff’s captain last year.“We know there’s going to be a back-and-forth transition,” Welsh said.Welsh asked commissioners to begin the search for a new emergency management coordinator as soon as possible. The department does planning and government grant work for police, fire and health agencies that respond to emergencies.“Our goal is to have somebody in place by the first of January,” he said.An internal posting process will be followed as well as advertising through the Michigan Emergency Management Association. There are qualified people already interested in the position, Welsh said.

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