At Board of Trustees meetings, we are instructed to direct any questions we have to our Township Manager, Joseph Merucci, at present. His phone is 248-651-4440, extension 214. His email is jmerucci@oaklandtwpmi.gov

After 15 years of service from Township Manager (Superintendent) James Creech, ending in 2013, we have had five different Township Managers. The current Township Manager (Superintendent) is Joseph Merucci. He replaced Adam Kline who left for reasons unknown to me.

Merucci was appointed by a 4/3 vote; after Supervisor Robin Buxar lost her bid for the position by a 3/4 vote. See votes below.

The Township Manager’s annual salary is $100,000 plus, while the elected Supervisor salary has been stuck at $13,500 for a long time. The Board of Trustees determines these salaries.

I believe the Township has used the term Manager to avoid confusion between the similar terms Supervisor and Superintendent.

THE CHARTER TOWNSHIP ACT (EXCERPT)
Act 359 of 1947

42.10 Township superintendent; appointment; delegation of powers and duties of township supervisor.

Sec. 10.

The township board in each charter township shall have power to appoint a township superintendent and may delegate to him any or all of the following functions and duties which functions and duties, unless so delegated, shall be exercised by the supervisor:

(a) To see that all laws and township ordinances are enforced;

(b) To manage and supervise all public improvements, works, and undertakings of the township;

(c) To have charge of the construction, repair, maintenance, lighting and cleaning of streets, sidewalks, bridges, pavements, sewers, and of all the public buildings or other property belonging to the township;

(d) To manage and supervise the operation of all township utilities;

(e) To be responsible for the preservation of property, tools, and appliances of the township;

(f) To see that all terms and conditions imposed in favor of the township or its inhabitants in any public utility franchise, or in any contract, are faithfully kept and performed;

(g) To attend all meetings of the township board, with the right to take part in discussions, but without the right to vote;

(h) To be a member, ex officio, of all committees of the township board;

(i) To prepare and administer the annual budget under policies formulated by the township board and keep the said board fully advised at all times as to the financial condition and needs of the township;

(j) To recommend to the township board for adoption such measures as he may deem necessary or expedient;

(k) To be responsible to the township board for the efficient administration of all departments of the township government;

(l) To act as the purchasing agent for the township or, under his responsibility, delegate such duties to some other officer or employee;

(m) To conduct all sales of personal property which the township board may authorize to be sold;

(n) To assume all the duties and responsibilities as personnel director of all township employees or delegate such duties to some other officer or employee;

(o) To perform such other duties as may be prescribed by this act or required of him by ordinance or by direction of the township board, or which are not assigned to some other official in conformity with the provisions of this act.
History: 1947, Act 359, Eff. Oct. 11, 1947 ;– CL 1948, 42.10 ;– Am. 1949, Act 70, Eff. Sept. 23, 1949
© 2017 Legislative Council, State of Michigan

In some Townships, Orion for example the elected Township Supervisor (Robin Buxar in our case) retains all the duties now delegated to Mr. Merucci. Oakland Township had this system from the earliest days (1847?) until Township Supervisor Joan Buser retired (about 1997).  Then James Creech was hired as Township Manager and he served until 2013. Then we had a succession of managers, no manager at all and interim managers before Mr. Merucci. The Board of Trustees decides which system to use.