Ortonville- After nearly 20 years of serving on the village council, Mary Kassuba has resigned her position.
‘I am not effective anymore as a councilmember, and it’s time to move on,? said Kassuba in explaining her decision. ‘I have very mixed feelings about it… I would not do this as a threat, or to play a game. This is effective immediately.?
The 24-year village resident, who was first elected in 1990, announced her resignation during a special Oct. 5 council meeting to discuss the village manager position.
‘I’m very saddened that she resigned, and I think the community has lost a solid voice in what is going on in our community,? said Kay Green, who has also served on the village council since 1990. ‘We worked the (Christmas Eve) luminaries for years and years with her family, as well as the Christmas parades, the committee work… In general, we became and remain very good friends. She was very knowledgeable and very effective as a councilmember.?
Kassuba, 66, has served with four village managers? Harvey Fletcher, Pete Auger, Paul Zelenak and Ed Coy, and with two council presidents? Sue Bess and current Council President Ken Quisenberry, who said he was shocked by Kassuba’s decision.
‘I think Mary did bring some good ideas to the council over the past two years,? he said. ‘We had several issues we agreed on and several we hadn’t, but all in all, I thought Mary was a good councilmember.?
Kassuba said she originally joined the council nearly two decades ago because she felt she had a great deal to offer. She grew up in the area and said the village hasn’t changed much in her eyes? it still has the quaint feeling she remembers.
Nothing accomplished is done by one person, she notes, but some of the goals she is proud of achieving as a member of the village council include replacement of the South Street bridge, the sale of what is now the township office building, purchase of the old library building and refurbishment of it for the current village offices, installation of playground equipment in Crossman Park, repaving of Mill and South streets, new sidewalks and replacement of old ones. As a member of the Downtown Development Authority and council representative to the DDA, Kassuba also saw brick pavers and street lamps installed downtown during her tenure.
She will miss her work on the luminaries the most, she said, a tradition for her family for 20 years.
Some work that didn’t get done and she would like to see change are the installation of sewers in the village and resolution of issues at the Skate Park.
‘I would like to see a vibrant village in a struggling economy and I don’t know how you do that, either,? she said.
Kassuba, who continues to work as the Brandon Township deputy supervisor, a position she has held for 22 years, said being a councilmember has been a challenge at times? with a lot of hard work and compromise from seven different personalities, all with different opinions. It makes for a diverse council, but respect is required to get things done, she said. Still, she has enjoyed her time as a public official.
‘It’s been an honor and privilege to serve on the village council,? Kassuba said.
‘I am sure I will miss it and I will miss the interaction with all the residents.?
Kassuba’s term, originally due to end in September 2011, was pushed to November 2012 when the village council voted 4-3 to extend by 14 months the terms of everyone on the council in order to coincide with township, state, and federal elections held in even-numbered years and save money.
The village council can choose to leave Kassuba’s seat vacant until the November 2010 election, or vote to appoint someone to fill her seat until that time.
‘As long as there is a quorum of the board, they can continue to conduct business,? said Oakland County Director of Elections Joe Rozell.