WLKM Radio 95.9 FM
An effort by St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners to remove Sheriff Mark Lillywhite from office took a step forward last week.
A letter expressing the board’s concerns about Lillywhite was mailed Saturday to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. A copy was also submitted to Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel.
St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners agreed Aug. 15 to initiate the process of removing Lillywhite from office. Without authority of their own to remove an elected official from office, commissioners decided to pursue their only other legitimate option and appeal their case to Whitmer.
The county’s attempt to oust Lillywhite is pursuant to Michigan Compiled Laws 168.207, which was referenced in the letter commissioners sent to Whitmer. The letter was compiled by the county’s legal firm.
Dated Aug. 31, the letter starts: “As the board of commissioners of St. Joseph County, we are responsible for ensuring appropriate use of taxpayer dollars. Therefore, we are writing to notify you of Sheriff Mark Lillywhite’s willful neglect of his statutory duties as an elected official.”
Lillywhite, a Flowerfield Township resident, remains on the payroll even though Undersheriff Jason Bingaman has absorbed most of his duties since a February drunken-driving arrest in Kalamazoo County. Lillywhite’s salary is $105,000. His term as sheriff expires at the end of 2024.
