Applications for Appointment

Those who wish to be considered for appointment to a vacant position are invited to submit an application form to the Spring Lake Village Clerk, 102 W. Savidge, Spring Lake, MI 49456.

After you apply: After the Village receives an application, copies are sent to the respective board/commission for review and to better understand the applicants’ intentions and backgrounds. The board/commission will make a recommendation to the Village Council, which will consider the recommendation and subsequently make an appointment. Once approved by Council, the applicant is sworn in by the Village Clerk or his/her deputy.

Board and Commission Qualifications for Appointment
Board and Commission Appointment Application

Applicant Information

Thank you for considering serving as a volunteer on a Village Board or Committee. The Village is very fortunate in that we have a very engaged population who wishes to serve their neighbors in a way that continues to move the Village forward.

Each November, Council considers applications for all boards and committees. Incumbents are not guaranteed reappointment; Council considers the skillset and fit of every applicant. Incumbents are required to reapply if they wish to maintain their seats. Occasionally, seats will open up throughout the year for various reasons and Council will consider those on a case-by-case basis. Applications are vetted by the respective board that you wish to serve. For example, if you wish to serve on the Parks & Recreation Board, the currently seated members will consider the application. If there are more applications than seats available, they may interview candidates (either in person or via Zoom) prior to making a recommendation to Council. Once a recommendation has been made, Council will make the official appointment to serve.

In some cases, board by-laws mandate how quickly a vacancy must be filled. In all cases, applicants must be Village residents in order to be considered for appointment.

Prior to serving on any board or committee, candidates will be sworn in and must pledge the following: “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support the Constitution of the United States, and the Constitution of this State, and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of the office of [insert board or committee here] in and for the Village of Spring Lake, County of Ottawa and the State of Michigan, according to the best of my ability”

Failure to adhere to this oath of office, to the point of malfeasance or misfeasance, may result in a member being removed from a board or committee. Failure to adhere to this oath of office, to the point of malfeasance or misfeasance, may result in a member being removed from a board or committee.

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Application Process

1. Fill out the application and submit it to Village Manager, Chris Burns, at christine@springlakevillage.org. Applications can be found in Village Hall at 102 West Savidge Street or at www.springlakevillage.org
2. The Village Manager will forward the application to the respective board(s) and its’ members
3. Respective board considers and reviews submitted applications for the open seat. The respective board may decide to interview candidates before making a decision.
4. After the board selects the applicant, they will submit a recommendation to Village Council to appoint the applicant to the respective board. Village Council will make the official appointment to serve.
5. Applications are held for one year and are considered in future board openings. After one year, the application will be discarded and the applicant will need to reapply.