Teri Stapleton for Grand Rapids Twp Clerk

Your Voice. Your Vote.

Greetings! My name is Teri Stapleton and I am running for Grand Rapids Twp Clerk. I’ve lived here with my family since 2015. As your fellow community member, I am excited to work with you in an effort to lead our community toward a prosperous new future. But I can’t do that without

Your Voice. Your Vote.

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Roles and Responsibilities of the Township Clerk

The Clerk, in addition to setting the tone of the office (inviting vs. closed off from the township), holds at least three roles in township government. She acts as Policymaker, Administrative Assistant and Record-keeper, and Election Coordinator. Each of these roles are distinct from one another and require flexibility.

Policy Maker

Many people probably don’t think of the Clerk as holding policy-making duties. As a reflection of the name of the role, many probably think that the duties of the Clerk are more administrative in nature. However, the township clerk “is a full-fledged member of the township board with a vote equal to the other members, voting on the questions of budget, personnel appointments, zoning, and all other matters that come before the township board. Hence, the Clerk is also a township legislator.”

Admin & Records Keeper

The Clerk’s role also involves developing filing procedures that offer quick retrieval for the Township board. Her responsibilities also “rest upon matters that involve citizen contact. Requests for information about all kinds of township questions – from meeting places and dates to absentee ballots and zoning hearings – come to the clerk’s office by telephone, letter, e-mail, and personal appearance.” The Clerk also plays a role in financial accounting for expenditures.

Elections Coordinator

While State Law regulates the election system, the Township Clerk has latitude to exercise policy leadership with respect to voter registration, absentee voting, and the use of different types of voting equipment to be used such as paper ballots, voting machines, or other electronic devices. All of these involve appropriations, and township board approvals. That said if any changes are to be made, they will likely be made at the discretion of the Township Clerk.

Source: The Township Clerk as Policy Maker (2024). cms2.revise.com

Teri as Policy Maker

In many townships throughout Michigan, the role of the Clerk is left up to the individual who can choose to be active and approachable or somewhere less than that. Because I am a mother, wife, educator, and professional (to name a few roles that I play), I will be very active in voting for initiatives that help us to create a unique identity, and will also enhance our community socially and economically. Furthermore, you will find me very excited to introduce initiatives for vote that improve our safety and security.

Teri as Admin & Records Keeper

I have always been a very organized person. Ask my husband! I proudly keep documents filed accordingly and can retrieve them very at a moment’s notice. This part of the job of the Clerk will come very easily to me, obviously.

Additionally, I am known in my social and professional circles as being very approachable as well as a team player. If anyone has any questions, needs a project to be organized and launched, or is looking for educated input or opinions on any topic, I am more than happy to oblige.

Finally, I have been through a lot of things in my life and I choose to look for the silver lining. I choose to laugh. When you visit me the very least you can expect is a big ‘ol smile.

Teri As Election Coordinator

In my opinion, elections are the cornerstone of our democracy. They enable people to elect leaders that are accountable, transparent, and keep the needs of their citizens prioritized. In order for elections to work, however, they must be Free and Fair.

As an informed citizen I am very aware of the struggle of our electorate to believe in the credibility of our elections. To create an atmosphere of trust around our election process, I will follow eight standards that represent the will of the people, before, during, and after the election.

Election Phases

Before Voting

Citizens are able to register to vote
The government can place restrictions on who can vote based on their age, residency, or citizenship status. However, in free and fair elections, our government cannot, by law, prevent eligible voters from registering or make it harder for some groups of people to register than others. Elections that prevent citizens from registering to vote are not free or fair.
Voters have access to reliable information
Our government cannot prevent the media from covering certain candidates or political parties. They also can’t spread misinformation, intentionally or unintentionally, as is often the case in social media. Voters need access to unbiased information to freely make decisions about their candidate of choice.
Citizens can run for office
Our government cannot attack, intimidate, or discriminate against those who decide to run for office. Voters cannot vote freely if the government unfairly blocks candidates from running for office.
Source: Facing History and Ourselves (2024)., www.facinghistorg.org.

During Voting

4. All voters have access to a polling place or to another method of voting

Voters must be able to freely cast their ballots. No matter where voters live or who they are, they must be able to have access to polling places, be able to freely enter them, or request ballots by mail without intimidation.

5. People can vote free from intimidation

Polling places must be safe so that all eligible voters can place their ballot. Violence, or threat thereof, can keep people from voting. which is contrary to the ideal of free and fair elections.

6. Voting is free from fraud

All eligible voters must be able to vote only one time per election. Ineligible voters must not be able to vote. In other countries, there has been illegal voting such as stuffing illegal ballots in favor of one candidate or another. In the United States, however, voter fraud is very rare, almost non-existent, according to the 2007 Brennan Center report.

Source: Facing History and Ourselves (2004). www.facinghistory.org.

After Voting

7. Ballots are counted accurately and the correct results are announced

The voters ballots cannot be altered. Rather, all ballots that are cast, must be counted by independent electoral commissions. These commissions are appointed by The President with the advice of the Senate, and are tasked with overseeing elections and preventing individuals or the government from interfering or tampering with the results.

8. The results of the election are respected.

After the election, when all of the ballots are counted, the candidates must respect the results, without using violence or intimidation to seize power. Peaceful transitions are central to the viability of our democracy.

Source: Facing History and Ourselves (2024). www.facinghistory.org

Learn more

About Teri

Michigander from the start

Having grown up in Mancelona, Michigan (Up North), I always considered myself the quintessential Michigander. My parents took us on many adventures throughout the Great Lakes State. Some of my fondest memories include visiting the U.P., Mackinac Island, Tiger Stadium, and the Pontiac Silverdome. I also loved to visit my grandparents' homes in Beulah and Ravenna. While in Beulah, we often swam in Crystal lake, one of the most beautiful spring-fed lakes in the state. In Ravenna, we played on the farm and in late August we often made back-to-school shopping trips to Grand Rapids’ Woodland Mall.

Michigan resilience

As an adult, I continued to live in Michigan. I went to college at The University of Michigan. After I graduated, I found my first professional job in the automotive industry where I stayed for over 20 years, working in business unit finance, human factors, and consumer research. I married my wonderful husband, Verlin, in October 2001, right after 9-11, a wedding that was wonderful but to which my bonus children were unable to attend due to flight cancellations. We made our home with the kids in Canton. With the downturn of the automotive market in 2008, however, my husband and I lost our jobs. Coincidentally, I was diagnosed with cancer only a few days prior. Needless to say it was a tough time for us. But instead of lamenting about our troubles, we bellied-up and my husband found a short-term job that paid our bills and I studied for my Master’s degree.

New adventure

As I was just a few months shy of my Master’s degree from Eastern Michigan University, my husband took a job that would lead us on what I like to call our ‘tour of the midwest’. He moved first and then my daughter and I joined him after I had my diploma in hand. First we moved to Wheaton, IL, and then were transferred to Avon, IN. During this time, I prioritized the wellbeing of our daughter, helping her to adjust and to thrive. We had some great times, but my dad’s passing had us eager to move back to the mitten state to help my mom and be close to family.

Home again, home again, jiggity jig

In 2015, we moved to Grand Rapids Township, only a few miles from my mom’s house. I worked at the local elementary school with students who were in need of extra practice in reading, writing, and math. Until last November, things were pretty steady in our lives, with the normal ups and downs. Then, wouldn’t you know it, the good Lord threw us another curve ball

Life-long discovery

In November 2023, I was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis. It was a long time coming, let me tell you! As I’ve begun the trek down this new road, I’ve rediscovered my strength and scrappiness! It’s time for me to reinvent myself one more time! Which brings me to 2024.

Why you should support me

Resilient. Gritty. Persistent. The salient themes of my life. It’s been a life-long desire of mine to run for public office so I’m moving beyond my recent diagnosis. I’m determined to be your next Township Clerk! The experience I’ve gained as a survivor, a wife, a mother, a college graduate, a professional is pushing me towards being of use to my community.. I plan to use this focus and strength along with my well-honed skills in leading, listening, supporting, budgeting, collaborating, communicating, and organizing to uplift our township so that together we all can enjoy it, find pride in it, feel safe in it, and believe in it. Please come along with me on this voyage and vote to elect me on November 6, 2024 as your Township Clerk and together we can write our next chapter! I can’t do it without…

Your voice. Your vote.

Leading Us into Tomorrow

As your Township Clerk, I plan to introduce and support policies that will

Deliver transparent leadership that keeps our community informed and engaged
Specifically, you’ll be able to participate virtually in our township meetings via a broadcasted signal; you’ll be kept informed on the latest goings-on via our updated webpage; and, you’ll be able to see your neighbors at local coffee-talks while we township officers make ourselves available to you.
Empower our first responders to provide emergency services tailored to the community’s needs
We plan to bolster our emergency services by upgrading emergency equipment and hiring local workers who know the uniqueness of our township health and security needs, who are able to respond quickly to emergencies, and who are invested in seeing our community members remain safe.
Prioritize sidewalks, crosswalks, and bike lanes for a more connected and healthier community
Safe sidewalks and bike paths are essential to keeping our citizens healthy and connected to neighbors and the community at large. Safer crosswalks are also very necessary to get our community members from one end of the township to the other since one of Grand Rapids' largest and busiest roads cuts across our landscape.
Be accountable for getting you answers
When you come to visit our township office you will notice a new way of doing business. In addition to welcoming you with a smile, we will do our ultimate best to get the answers that you seek, even if that means doing a little extra leg-work. Further, we will strive to make your visit seamless as we use technology to help us organize our files, forms, and proposals. You will also notice that our online presence will be significantly improved as our township website will not only provide historical township information, but also accurate meeting notices and supporting documentation, a comprehensive list of proposals being considered, a list of township parks and corresponding maps, and a full list of community activities.
Ensure Free & Fair Elections
Because I believe deeply that our elections are the backbone of our democracy, I aim to create a positive experience for our voters by launching campaigns emphasizing election topics such as voter registration, methods of voting, ballot proposals and initiatives, precinct safety measures, and transparent election results so that our democracy will thrive.