City Clerk A Finalist For Job In Michigan

CHICAGO HEIGHTS, IL - City Clerk Lori Wilcox could leave Chicago Heights for Michigan if she's selected for the same job in Grand Rapids. Wilcox was chosen as one of three finalists for the open Grand Rapids City Clerk position this week by their Mayor Rosalyn Bliss, MLive, a chain of Michigan newspapers, reports.

Grand Rapids has selected Wilcox and two candidates from other areas of Michigan, Byron Township Clerk Joel Hondorp and Montcalm County Clerk Kristen Millard, as finalists for the job. The city's previous city clerk retired in February, leaving the position currently vacant.

Wilcox did not respond to a Chicago Heights Patch request for comment on her selection as a finalist for the Grand Rapids job.

Meanwhile, Wilcox remains on the ballot locally in the March 20 election for Bloom Township Democratic Committeeman. She is facing incumbent Terry Matthews and Art Wiggins Jr., a challenger who has posted videos on Facebook criticizing her for considering the job in Michigan while seeking the Bloom Township post at the same time.

"Everyone in Bloom Township should be furious," Wiggins said. "If you've cast a vote for Lori Wilcox in early voting, it's pretty much as if you've cast a vote for Terry Matthews. When you apply for a clerk's job, there's an application process, and to see that she's a finalist - that tells me this has been in the works for a long time."

In his videos and phone interviews with Patch, Wiggins has been consistent in recent weeks claiming that Wilcox' placement on the ballot in Bloom Township is a campaign trick by Matthews and the Unity Party to steal votes from him.

But Matthews also objected to Wilcox' decision to seek the other job during a phone interview with Patch.

"It shows you that Lori Wilcox is not committed to Bloom Township," said Matthews, the incumbent committeeman who is also the mayor of South Chicago Heights. "Grand Rapids is two hours away, I don't think she will be able to commute that far. I don't see her commitment to Bloom Township if she's applied to be a clerk in Grand Rapids."

Matthews denies Wiggins' claims that Wilcox was placed on the ballot to take away votes that would have otherwise gone to Wiggins.

"There's no truth to that whatsoever," Matthews said.

Wilcox interviewed for the Grand Rapids job Thursday morning, a video captured by Wiggins shows. Grand Rapids held public interviews for all three of their candidates for the job.

Watch a 6-minute clip of Wilcox' interview below.

Photo via City of Chicago Heights