Mussatti appointed Erwin treasurer

By RICHARD JENKINS

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ERWIN TOWNSHIP — Sylvia Mussatti will continue to serve as Erwin Township’s treasurer for another four years after the Board of Trustees appointed her to fill the vacant position Wednesday.

Mussatti was originally appointed to serve the remainder of former treasurer Renee Hill’s term in October.

Hill abruptly resigned during the board’s Oct. 12 meeting following a disagreement over the type of permit she needed to build an accessory building on her property, sending a formal letter of resignation soon after.

While Hill resigned in October, she was still on the November ballot unopposed — meaning she was elected to another term.

Supervisor Larry Grimsby said Wednesday that neither he nor Clerk Vicky Finco had heard from Hill since the election. He said state law required the oath be taken before Jan. 2, and the board had 45 days to appoint someone following the deadline.

Finco praised the work Mussatti has done so far.

“I’m satisfied with the relationship we have with Sylvia so far, when she graciously stepped in to fill (the position) when Renee resigned,” Finco said. “She’s been easy to work with, she’s been putting a lot of effort in learning the job correctly.”

Grimsby also praised Mussatti’s work in filling the position.

The treasurer position is a four-year term.

In other action:

— The board approved several budget transfers from the township’s contingency fund to cover unexpected costs in several line items. According to Finco; $2,000 was transferred into the township board fund, $1,000 was transferred into the treasurer fund and $500 was transferred into the solid waste fund.

— Donna Erickson, Amber Hurkman and William Hellen were appointed to the board of review.

—The board voted to contract with Tim Dean for legal services at a rate of $115-per-hour.

—The board also voted to establish a $35 fee for returned checks.

—The board approved a $1,000 salary increase for Assessor Melissa Prisbe, noting that considerable progress has been made in updating the assessing information on properties in the township.