MONROE, Mich. — Tuesday night’s Monroe County Board of Commissioners meeting largely focused on the return of former District 2 Commissioner Mark Brant. Brant, who was convicted of felony drug charges and sentenced to federal prison time back in 2024, was seen seated at the commissioner’s dais in his former seat, which had been vacated since his incarceration.
Current board chairman David Vensel requested that Brant remove himself from the commissioner’s dais, reiterating that Brant was no longer considered a Monroe County commissioner. Vensel explained that a written opinion produced by the board’s legal counsel deemed Brant an ineligible electorate, meaning that he could not serve in the elected position that he was voted into during last November’s general election.
The board, which previously voted and agreed to the stipulations written in the legal opinion, instead opted to hold a new election for the seat. Primaries will take place in August 2025, while the election will be in November. Vensel explained that the decision to hold an election instead of appointing someone to the seat came out of the concern of fairness to constituents, who will vote in the next commissioner for District 2…