KALAMAZOO TOWNSHIP, Mich. — The township treasurer who was stripped of most of her duties could be forced from her job.
The Kalamazoo Township Board of Trustees formally petitioned Governor Whitmer to remove Township Treasurer Sherine Miller from office. It is a step required by state law to fire an elected official.
In a letter to the Governor's Office, the board wrote Miller should be removed from office for official misconduct and willful neglect of duty. Trustees specifically noted she failed to appoint a deputy treasurer, as required by law, unilaterally transferred $4 million in township funds, mismanaged 2025 winter tax bills, and refused to to collaborate with township leaders.
Township Supervisor David Combs stated that previous efforts to correct Miller's performance failed.
"The Board does not take this action lightly," said Combs in a statement. “Removal of an elected official is rare in Michigan. However, our responsibility is to protect the financial integrity of the Township and the residents we serve. After exhausting all available internal remedies, petitioning the Governor became the only remaining mechanism to safeguard the Township's operations."
Miller was censured by the trustees in January after a report commissioned by the board found she was a financial hazard to the township. The report said Miller was "incapable of managing Township assessments and generating property tax bills." She also could not balance bank statements, write treasurer reports, use excel spreadsheets, or complete the tasks her position is required to by law.
Kalamazoo
'Incompetent': Report calls Kalamazoo Township Treasurer a financial hazard
As part of the censure, the Board of Trustees limited Miller to read-only access to the township's financial and accounting reports, removed her from all boards and committees, and restricted the amount of time she can spend in the office to just a handful of days.
Miller addressed the allegations in the report and the censure vote during the township's meeting on January 26.
"I reserve all rights and attend to due course to respond to the allegations, to seek immediate restoration of my statutory duties, and to pursue all appropriate legal and equitable remedies," Miller said during public comment.
WATCH: Township Treasurer speaks after being censured
