Township Trustee to Handle Finances After Miller Resigns Following Incompetence Charges

*KALAMAZOO TOWNSHIP, Mich.* — Kalamazoo Township has appointed Clara Robinson as its new treasurer following a controversial fallout with previous treasurer Sherine Miller, while Comstock Township's Downtown Development Authority board has seen five of nine volunteer members resign in a dispute with Supervisor Ben Martin.

New Treasurer Takes Helm

Clara Robinson was named treasurer Monday morning and will handle finances through the end of the year. Her resume includes 12 years as Comstock Township's deputy treasurer, along with professional financial operations. She was first elected in Kalamazoo Township as a board trustee in 2020.

Robinson later switched to executive coordinator, helping with multiple township departments before being re-appointed to the board. She's now resigned as trustee to be full-time treasurer and rebuild trust with the public.

"I think the biggest thing is that people understand that I too am a stakeholder," Robinson said. "I'm not only a board member, resident, but the treasurer."

Miller left the position this month after an outside investigation into her work. The report from law firm Clark Hill called her "patently incompetent," claiming Miller was unable to balance financial statements or manage property tax assessments.

Financial Mismanagement Scandal

Since then, residents expressed concern over how their money was handled over multiple years. While Robinson wouldn't comment on Miller's actions, she wants transparency to be key from this point forward.

"I expect to be held accountable," Robinson said. "Just like I expect the board members to be held accountable as we have been doing to this point."

One of the main criticisms of Miller in the investigation was her alleged inability to follow financial best practices, or accounting rules to keep track of millions in public funds.

Sherine Miller was treasurer censured twice, announces resignation after several misconduct accusations.

Robinson says those will return under her leadership and encourages residents to follow the money for themselves.

"We have an audit that will be coming up. Those audits are made available on our website so people can go on there and they can see it," she said.

According to Robinson, the township is on solid financial footing.

Comstock DDA Mass Resignations

Meanwhile, five of nine volunteers on Comstock Township's Downtown Development Authority board resigned March 25, citing dysfunction with Supervisor Ben Martin. Martin, the township supervisor and board liaison, was routinely absent from DDA meetings and did not collaborate with volunteer members, former chair Sandra Katje said.

Katje was elected to the township board in 2008. She has since served on the planning commission and DDA.

"After serving in the township for this long and learning how to operate with others as a board, even if you disagree, that takes a lot of time and communication," she said. "I feel like Ben Martin is very much lacking that."

During a July 2025 meeting, Martin called the DDA "an unneeded, unnecessary layer of government that doesn't do anything and spends more than it brings in." At the time, Martin said, that was true. He stands by it.

"We've taken a different turn of direction and ... we've lowered some costs," Martin said. "That, I'm in favor of."

The DDA was created in 2019 to collect and direct tax and grant money to promote development in Comstock's downtown area.

Communication Breakdown

Prior to the new township board taking office, Katje said there was a lot of collaboration between the boards. That has fallen off in the last 16 months, making it difficult to set a direction.

"He's rarely spoken to me, even in a board meeting," she said.

Many issues have been taken to local social media pages, instead. Katje noted Martin has talked to her more via Facebook in the last hour than on the board.

"I just don't think that's a very good representation of our township."

Martin was not aware that several DDA members were planning to resign, he said. They've made a spectacle of it.

"I'm not the chair. I'm not the leader. I'm not the director," he said. "I'm not the center of it."

He and the three other remaining board members look forward to continuing the DDA's work.

Supervisor Under Recall Pressure

Martin is currently facing pressure to resign from his role as supervisor over a 1983 ordinance that says officials cannot have any interest in alcohol manufacturing or sales. Martin owns Soil Friends Hard Cider Co., which operates out of a farm at 1701 N. 33rd St.

Residents are leading efforts to recall four other township board members in the wake of the decision over the liquor license dispute.

Sources:

  • WWMT — https://wwmt.com/news/local/kalamazoo-township-selects-former-trustee-new-treasurer-clara-robinson-sherine-miller-financial-board-wwmt
  • MLive — https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/2026/03/5-board-members-resign-citing-conflict-with-township-leader.html
  • NowKalamazoo — https://nowkalamazoo.org/newsletters/daily/3-31-26-new-k-township-treasurer/