Piccolo resigns, then reappointed to city commission
Alma City Commissioner Nick Piccolo resigned his post Tuesday night.
However, within minutes, he was appointed to fill another vacant seat on the board.
Piccolo, who has served on the city commission for 10 years, had actually been defeated in the November general election when he finished fifth in the race for the four available spots. His current term would have expired Dec. 31.
But then a vacancy occurred following the death of Commissioner Larry Mott on Nov. 17, after he had already been reelected.
Mott, a board member for 13 years, had been the top vote getter in the general election garnering 1,942 votes. Piccolo was edged out for the final seat by newcomer Daniel Wernick by just 38 votes, 1,444 to 1,406.
Under rules of the city charter, commissioners had 30 days to fill Mott’s seat.
Piccolo became the obvious choice because of his prior experience and his slim margin of defeat in the election, according to City Manager Matt Schooley.
However, he couldn’t be appointed while still holding his spot on the commission.
“He had to resign from his position first,” Schooley explained. “Then he accepted the commission’s appointment at the end of the meeting.
“By charter, he will serve until the next city election, which will be in about two years.”
The city commission did not consider any other candidates to fill the vacancy, Schooley added.
The move will now place commission seats on an “odd cycle” in the 2022 election, he noted.
Normally, four commission seats become available every two-years, with three serving four-year terms and the last place finisher serving two years.
However, in 2022, there will be five commission seats up for grabs. In addition to the spots that will be held by Piccolo and Wernick, incumbents Roxann Herrington,
Michelle Pitts and Audra Stahl will also be up for reelection.
To get back on a normal cycle following 2022, Piccolo’s seat will be for two
years, as well as the fourth place finisher among any other candidates who run.
Piccolo has been an Alma resident for 17 years. He’s a retired vice president for student life at Alma College and currently teaches graduate courses at Central Michigan University.