VERMILION LAKE TWP— The town board here, on Thursday, accepted the resignation of township clerk Steve Peterson. The board then appointed him as interim clerk to fill the vacancy until a new clerk can be elected in March.

Peterson will receive help until the new clerk is seated in March from former clerk Fran Silverberg, who the town board appointed as Peterson’s deputy. Peterson has stated that his new job has made it too difficult for him to fulfill the clerk’s duties, which prompted his decision to resign.

Filings for the position can be submitted from Jan. 1 -15 at the clerk's office, by appointment, by calling 218-780-7717. The treasurer seat, held by Steven Lotz, and one supervisor seat, held by Robert Pratt (who was appointed to a vacancy), are also on the ballot in March.

The part-time position does not currently involve office hours, since the clerk has traditionally worked from home. The position currently pays $175 per month, but $50 for meetings, however, township treasurer Steve Lotz indicated that the board will likely look at raising that compensation next year.

In other business, Tower Ambulance Director Steve Altenburg made a pitch for the township to increase its subsidy to the ambulance replacement fund and cited other townships as having already done so. “He said Greenwood and Eagles Nest were already on board,” said treasurer Lotz.

Altenburg had also informed the Tower City Council earlier in the week that the township ambulance subsidy was set to increase to $45,300 next year and to $52,800 in 2020.

But it does not appear that townships have necessarily agreed to those increases. The issue has yet to come before the Greenwood Town Board and Eagles Nest supervisor Larry Anderson said his board hasn’t taken it up either. “We’ve talked about it at the ambulance commission,” said Anderson. “We have to bring that up [at the town board meeting]. We really we don’t have a decision yet.”

The Timberjay confirmed that Breitung Township has yet to address the issue, either. The Timberjay sought clarification from Altenburg, but he did not respond as of the paper’s early holiday press time.