BY MATT MACKINDER
Clarkston News Editor

It took longer than anticipated, but Independence Township unanimously appointed Gerald Fisher as its new supervisor at the October 19 regular meeting of the board of trustees.
Had no one been appointed by October 24 in the wake of former supervisor Pat Kittle’s resignation last month, a costly special election would have been set for next May. The township supervisor role had been vacant since the end of the September 7 meeting.
“My desire as supervisor is to exercise leadership and professionalism,” said Fisher. “The township is blessed with a great board, an excellent planning commission and zoning board of appeals, a great township staff that clearly cares for the township, and very skilled and professional consultants. My job will be to help bring out the best in others, learn from all of them, and continue the path of excellence for the township and its people.”
Fisher is a local government and land use law consultant, and an emeritus professor of law at the Western Michigan University Cooley Law School, where he taught full time for 15 years, with courses including Property Law, Constitutional Law, Secured Transactions, Zoning and Land Use Law, and State and Local Government Law.
Prior to joining the Cooley faculty, Fisher was a senior partner and manager of the municipal practice group at Secrest Wardle, a mid-sized Michigan law firm then headquartered in Farmington Hills.
Fisher specialized in local government and land use regulation law, serving as general counsel for Independence Township for more than 20 years and for a number of cities, villages and townships in Southeast Michigan. He also served as special counsel for governmental entities throughout the state.
“I discovered Independence Township in 1972, working for a law firm that represented the township,” Fisher said. “My initial assignment was to provide services as the assistant township attorney. What a great opportunity this turned out to be. My responsibility was soon expanded when the township attorney took a leave of absence from the practice of law and asked me to fill in while he was away. I ultimately became the township attorney and served in this capacity for some 25 years. This period coincided with what can fairly be characterized as accomplishing critical planning, zoning, and structuring of the foundation of the township.
“As its attorney, working with the township administration, planning commissions, consultants, and interested citizens, I believe my involvement provided important assistance in stewarding the township toward the great community is has become. During the same period, I was fortunate enough to serve in a general counsel capacity for several Oakland County townships, cities, and villages, with many of them, such as Oakland Township, West Bloomfield Township, and the city of Novi, being in similar growth modes. But Independence was the town that I wanted to call home. I moved to the township in about 1980 and have remained here ever since. I love the township and the people of the township.”
Fisher expressed his good fortune of being able to directly assist in developing state zoning and other legislation and appearing in Michigan Supreme Court cases, all leading to the formal authorization of such things as planned unit development, cluster development, wetland and watercourse protection, and storm water regulation.
About 16 years ago, Fisher left the law firm to become a full-time law professor at Cooley Law School in Auburn Hills, which later became WMU Cooley Law School, teaching primarily property law and constitutional law – subjects that had been part of his local government law practice. After 15 years, he became an emeritus professor. As a professor, he retained the ability to continue consulting with local governments, served as chairperson of the Oakland County Parks and Recreation Commission for nearly 10 years, and wrote a book, published in May of this year, entitled “Local Government Law: A Practical Guide for Public Officials on City Councils, Community Boards, and Planning Commissions.”
Fisher spoke at a township board of trustees meeting earlier this month, offering his services as the supervisor. The application period had expired, and a motion to reopen the period failed. He said he had been following the proceedings to fill Kittle’s position very closely.
“I was recently surprised when Pat Kittle, a great township supervisor, decided to step down in the middle of his term,” said Fisher. “Looking back over the years, my experience was that, when members of boards and councils left office before their terms were completed, vacancies were consistently filled by appointment, rather than undertaking an expensive election in which outcomes are so uncertain. So when Pat’s vacancy was not being filled due to deadlock, I decided to offer my services, recognizing that I knew the township extremely well, felt like I could provide informed and stable leadership, and didn’t think it would be in the interest of the township to be without a supervisor for several months waiting for an expensive election to be conducted.
“I am grateful for the board’s confidence represented by its unanimous vote to allow me to become supervisor until the next general election (in November 22).”
Once that election comes around, can the township expect to see Fisher’s name on the ballot? Fisher said he will take into consideration many aspects.
“Some have asked whether I would run for election as supervisor in the fall of 2022,” said Fisher. “The beauty of the present situation is that I have a year to serve the township and receive feedback during that time from my fellow board members and the people of the township on whether they believe I should attempt to retain the office.”
Fisher’s first meeting is Tuesday, November 2, at 6 p.m. from Township Hall, located at 6483 Waldon Center Drive.