ROTHBURY — The Rothbury Village Council voted to appoint Juan Cano, a planning commissioner in the village, to a vacant trustee seat at its regular meeting Tuesday.
Mike Harris vacated his trustee seat to become interim president after the abrupt retirement of Vern Talmadge following April's council meeting. Cano was chosen among two candidates who voiced interest in the seat.
The vote to approve Cano was 4-2, with XX and XX dissenting, presumably in favor of Maryanne Canales, a longtime village resident who also expressed interest in the seat.
Cano, who was appointed to the planning commission last August, expressed his passion for “keeping Rothbury a strong, welcoming and supportive place for residents and families” and would be “grateful for the opportunity to serve and represent the best interests of our village" in a letter of interest. He added his enjoyment of the tight-knit community of Rothbury in the short time since he moved to the village.
Canales cited her experience serving on various nonprofit boards, especially on the Economic and Social Opportunity Commission under former Michigan governor James Blanchard, as assets to her candidacy. She said she was in favor of hosting more events to bring visitors to the village and continue building the relationship with the Electric Forest music festival.
Some council members stated a preference to table the issue until the June meeting, but after Trustee Denise Kurdziel noted that the current composition of the council is only set through November and the earlier the chosen candidate gets started, the better, the vote took place.
The candidates were also reminded that, if they wished to continue their service on the council, they’d need to submit a petition for the November election. The trustee seat would also only be a partial, two-year term through 2028.
The council encouraged both Cano and Canales to run in the November election if interested in serving.
The council also unanimously approved a new pay scale for trustees and village president, with the village president earning $125 per regular or special meeting attended, and trustees earning $75, all paid quarterly. The village also continues their search for a zoning administrator. Harris currently serves in the role, but cannot continue due to conflict of interest as village president, as discussed at the May 6 special meeting.
