Anthony Burdick, who has served as deputy clerk for Sumpter Township for three and a half years, was the subject of a special meeting of the township’s Hiring Committee at 6 p.m. Monday.
The Hiring Committee meeting was scheduled after the following item was put on Tuesday’s regular township board meeting agenda last week:
“Consider hiring Anthony Burdick as of 07/01/2022 for the position of Township Manager at an annual salary of $90,000 and benefit package equal to the current Deputy Clerk position. Contract to be drafted by the Township Attorney consistent with the standard Sumpter Township contract terms and will include language specifying that on a temporary basis Mr. Burdick will continue to act as the Deputy Clerk until a new Deputy is appointed being compensated during this period at the Township Manager’s Salary and benefits.”
On Monday, the Hiring Committee met for ten minutes to hear a brief presentation from Burdick and vote unanimously to recommend him for the position.
Trustee Tim Rush, who has been serving as deputy supervisor, said Burdick could make his comments short and sweet because everybody knows him and everybody had a chance to look at his resume.
Burdick said he did not prepare a presentation, but the observations he’s made over the past three and a half years at Sumpter is that there is a need of support for people, staff, and issues. He said he did this for five years before Sumpter Township where he dealt with the Director Holtzes and Chief Lukes of the world. He said someone needs to make it happen after the board says, “motion carried.”
“I would love to say I’m the one to do that,” Burdick said, adding there will be a learning curve and he has a fairly creative mind to create a strategy to pave the way up the mountain to success.
He said he is excited about the challenge and the first year and a half should be exciting, with him focusing on people, development, and tools.
“It’s amazing what you can get done when you have the right people at the helm,” Burdick said.
“Since Ms. Cole left us, he’s been doing this job and doing it quite well,” Trustee Rush said, referring to Deputy Supervisor Michelle Cole’s resignation as of Nov. 29.
Rush was appointed deputy supervisor after that and the Hiring Committee started a search for a township administrator. It reduced the candidates to three, who were interviewed and one selected for the post. He was recommended to the board. At the April 12 board meeting finalist Darwin McClary was unexpectedly turned down by the board with a unanimous vote.
At Monday’s meeting Public Safety Director/Police Chief Eric Luke said in support, “I’ve worked with Tony. He’s a professional. He’s top-notch.”
After the unanimous vote was taken, Burdick, who was the secretary for the meeting said: “Thank you. For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, motion carried.”
Rush asked if the Hiring Committee could be dissolved now that its goal had been accomplished and township attorney Rob Young said if the township board approves their recommendation at its meeting the next day (June 28) the board could dissolve it in the absence of a reason to exist.
The Hiring Committee had Treasurer Vincent Warren as chairman and members of Supervisor Tim Bowman, Director Luke, Finance Director Scott Holtz, and Trustee Rush, who was sitting in for appointed committee member Clerk Esther Hurst, who was absent and excused.