MONROE, Mich. — Former Monroe County Commissioner Mark Brant officially resigned from his position as board chair on Tuesday after he was sentenced to 18 months in prison in September for a federal drug charge conviction.
According to court documents, Brant pleaded guilty to possession with the intention to distribute marijuana and THC.
Monroe County residents attended the county commissioners meeting on Tuesday hoping for answers about what's next, since Brant, a Republican, is still up for re-election in November, running against Democratic write-in candidate Danielle Hoover.
"I was upset that we only just found out about it," resident Steven Meyer said at the meeting.
Several community members shared concerns he's still on the ballot and they want something done.
"Take his name off the ballot and if he does get re-elected, I want him to resign again," said resident Katybeth Davis.
But the deadline has passed to take his name off the ballot, according to new Board Chairman Randy Richardville.
Brant was not at the meeting on Tuesday. Commissioners unanimously voted to accept his letter of resignation the same day.
Meyer said if that step had happened sooner, more could have been done.
"Somebody absolutely would've stepped up at the time and been on the primary ballot at the time, but we didn't know then," he said.
Richardville says he learned about Brant's conviction of maintaining a drug-involved premises at the same time as the rest of the community and apologized to residents on the board's behalf.
"We feel badly that this splashes against the whole county, the whole community, the whole commission," he said, adding that he wishes he knew sooner. "If it were me, I probably would've said something right away."
Meyer said residents don't want to see Brant hold office again.
"He's broken his oath," Meyer said. "He does not deserve any place of power in any government in my opinion."
The chair of the Monroe County Republican Party said the party should have nominated and campaigned for a different candidate when Brant was initially charged.