New Ypsilanti City Clerk and former interim clerk Frances McMullan said she had no idea she was going to move into the position permanently.
"I had no knowledge until the actual meeting," McMullan said. "I thought maybe they would make me interim until after the election in May,"
After unanimously accepting the resignation of Rebecca Bintz, the city's former clerk, City Council unanimously hired McMullan, 39, as the city's new clerk April 3. There were some people at the meeting last week who aired concerns about how fast McMullan had been hired.
"The city has not had a good batting record here," said Steve Pierce, a city resident, during the meeting. "It's critical at this point in time to not jump the gun."
Pierce suggested cost savings through Bintz's resignation by combining the clerk's office with county services or perhaps the city treasurer's office.
During the meeting, Mayor Paul Schreiber said the city already had explored combining services with the county, and it would cost the city $60,000 to $80,000.
"I really don't see a cost savings there," he said.
After the meeting, Pete Murdock, a former Ypsilanti Mayor, disagreed with Schreiber. He said the city could save up to $8,000 per election through the county.
However, Pierce's suggestion to combine the clerk and treasurer's office was better received.
"I think it's probably a worthwhile opportunity to explore that," said Councilman John Gawlas, D-1st Ward. "It's somewhat of a common combination."
Councilman Bill Nickels, D-2nd Ward, said McMullan's qualifications exceeded other clerks that had worked for the city.
"Hiring her does not prohibit reorganizing City Hall," Nickels said.
Many on Council said hiring McMullan would help bring stability to the office. There have been three city clerks working in Ypsilanti within the past year. Council conducted two interviews last year, after rejecting their offer to the first candidate.
"I think we need someone who can bring some stability, someone who can work with the county really well," Schreiber said before McMullan was hired.
Mayor Pro-tem Trudy Swanson, D-1st Ward, said, "I don't think we're jumping into anything by hiring Mrs. McMullan. We need to have people right from the area, not have the office shuffled around."
This will be McMullan's fourth week working in Ypsilanti. She was hired by Bintz last month to serve as the deputy clerk. Before working in Ypsilanti, she worked in various departments in the city of Ann Arbor for 17 years. McMullan had also worked the city of Ypsilanti for more than a month during its 2004 General Election. She said she has noticed some difference in Ypsilanti since her last visit.
"The atmosphere in City Hall has definitely changed," McMullan said. "People are really coming together.
"Tension—it was just in the air," she said. "Now everybody just wants to move the city forward."
McMullan said she had known about the situation in the clerk's office before applying in Ypsilanti.
"I had known that it had been a revolving door for a number of years," she said. "I think I'll be here for a while."
McMullan lives in Ypsilanti Township with her husband and four children. Her husband is a computed tomography technologist for Henry Ford Hospital. Her children, one girl and three boys aged 6 to 16 years, attend Lincoln Consolidated Schools..ullan will be earning a $60,000 yearly salary for her first six months. After her probation, her pay will be increased 5 percent to $63,000 yearly.
"I like it," she said. "I won't be going anywhere."
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