After a bit of debate, Oxford Township has a new electrical inspector.

Last week, the township board voted 4-2 to allow Supervisor Bill Dunn to hire Pat Payne for the position.

Trustee Margaret Payne was allowed to abstain from both the discussion and voting because he’s her husband.

Pat Payne replaces longtime inspector Dale Birch, who passed way Dec. 30.

A master electrician with more than 30 years of experience, Payne was previously approved as the temporary electrical inspector at the township’s Dec. 14 meeting because Birch was having health issues. Payne said he’s licensed by the state to do plan reviews and inspections.

Township inspectors are hired as independent contractors, not traditional employees.

“He’s not paid a salary. He’s paid a flat rate per inspection,” explained Dunn, who noted Payne will not receive any benefits.

Trustee Elgin Nichols voted against hiring Payne for two reasons.

One, he had concerns about hiring someone related to a township board member. When Nichols served on the Oxford Village Council, he said his wife applied for a job with the municipality, but she could not be hired because of the charter.

“Relatives by blood or marriage of any councilperson or the village manager . . . shall be disqualified from holding any appointive office, or from being employed by the village,” the charter states.

“I understand where the village is coming from because the township I came from also didn’t allow relatives to be hired,” said Nichols, who previously served on a number of boards in Bay County’s Kawkawlin Township.

Secondly, Nichols argued the position should be posted so as to give others the opportunity to apply for it and be interviewed.

Nichols made it clear his opposition was “nothing against Pat Payne.”

“He’s very capable of doing this job, I’m sure,” he said.

Dunn told the board he consulted with township attorney Gary Rentrop and was told hiring Payne was “100 percent okay.”

With regard to hiring relatives, Rentrop told this reporter that unlike the village, “the township doesn’t have that prohibition.” He said everything’s fine as long as Margaret Payne abstains from discussing or voting on anything to do with her husband.

As for Nichols’ argument that the inspector position should be posted, Rentrop said, “I don’t think the township has any requirement to do that.”