LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) — A lapse in paperwork and a lapsed notary license have Livonia’s city clerk facing questions just ahead of the August primary.
Alleged candidate filing mistakes.
City Clerk Lori Miller, who took office in January after six years as deputy clerk, is facing scrutiny from the Livonia City Council over a handful of mistakes tied to candidate filings—including one affidavit notarized after her state commission expired in December, according to The Detroit News.
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The investigation, launched by a May 7 resolution that did not name Miller directly, was referred to the council’s Committee of the Whole.
Councilmember Laura Toy, who introduced the motion, said the move is about public confidence. “I am not trying to play politics here,” Toy said. “I am trying to do what is right and fair.”
Miller sees it differently. “None of these concerns pertain in any way to our city charter,” she said. “And as a legislative body, it is not in their role, to me, to investigate rumors.”
Lapse in notary authorization.
Issues flagged by the council include incomplete candidate affidavits and a lapse in notary authorization. One filing omitted required election dates, while another was notarized after Miller’s notary commission expired in December. In both cases, the candidates were approved for the August ballot.
She also removed two candidates from the ballot for falsely claiming they had no outstanding fines, a violation she identified as disqualifying under the city charter.
“All of the candidates that I certified met those qualifications under our charter,” Miller said.
After her notary commission lapsed in December, Miller signed off on a candidate affidavit in January. The filing was later corrected and re-notarized by another staffer ahead of the deadline. The state reinstated her commission on May 5.
“I have acknowledged the mistakes I have made, and we are all human,” Miller said.
“Our job is to be transparent.”
Council President Brandon McCullough called the issues “minor,” but said the public deserved transparency. “It is not a witch hunt,” he said. “Politics play a part in perception … but our job is to be transparent.”
Livonia’s charter gives the council wide authority to investigate city departments. City attorney Carter Fisher said the council could theoretically take the issue to court, but called that a “last resort” with little precedent.
The council has not announced any next steps. A second meeting on the matter took place May 19.