We elect our township supervisors to make important decisions. With our vote ,we trust their skills to hire a fire chief, firefighters, EMRs, paving contractors, and even our snowplow drivers. They interview candidates, examine qualifications, check backgrounds and then hire. Opponents of Option B claim our supervisors “don’t have the skills to hire and fire.” They sure better, they make these important decisions routinely!
The clerk and treasurer are government jobs, service functions; they do not vote and only make decisions in performing their tasks. They don’t influence your taxes and should not be participating in petty politics. They have important roles and jobs to perform. However, they have no more policy-making authority than the person hired to plow the snow. Option B will treat these valuable roles as employees bringing us stability and continuity. We should be hiring township employees not electing them.
Forcing a clerk and treasurer to run for election throws them into the “cronyism and politics” that Option B opponents claim needs to be avoided. They get pushed and drawn into it. They are forced to pick sides or resign out of frustration. Not every governmental job needs to be put to an election test. 
Option B continues to be adopted by more townships. Seven more in Minnesota this past year. Option B leads to qualified people providing consistent services for years. One Minnesota Option B township has had three clerks in 35 years. That kind of stability and continuity would be greatly valued by our township.
When we do our research and elect supervisors of integrity, we will trust them in hiring a capable clerk and treasurer. If we find the board makes a poor hiring decision, we will hold them accountable with our feedback or votes. To be a strong township, we need to elect the best decision-making supervisors and hire the finest employees.
Paul Thompson
Greenwood Township