Leelanau County Road Commissioner Tom Eckerle was forced to step down after making racial slurs in a public meeting. | Facebook/Leelanau County Road Commission
Leelanau County Road Commissioner Tom Eckerle was forced to step down after making racial slurs in a public meeting. | Facebook/Leelanau County Road Commission
State Sen. Curt VanderWall’s (R-Ludington) call for the resignation of a northwest Michigan county official who used a racial slur in a public meeting was heeded as the latter is slated to step down.
The Detroit Free Press reported that Leelanau County Road Commissioner Tom Eckerle is expected to resign as a result of the Aug. 4 meeting in which he said he did not wear a mask because "this whole thing is because of them (racial epithet) down in Detroit.”
VanderWall called Eckerle’s remark unacceptable.
“Commissioner Eckerle’s use of a racial slur is shocking, appalling and cannot be tolerated,” the senator said in a release issued by his office earlier this month.
Eckerly officially tendered his resignation by handwritten letter this week. The resignation became effective at 8 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 11, a release issued on Up North Live said. Eckerle reportedly decided to step down because he did not want to burden the incoming county manager with the matter.
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