Grand Traverse County Sheriff Tom Bensley has announced he’s retiring effective September 3, a move that will require a committee to appoint a replacement to fill the rest of his term through the end of 2024.

Bensley submitted a letter to County Clerk Bonnie Scheele Friday serving notice of his resignation. The letter did not detail the reasons for his departure. However, Bensley tells The Ticker that he notified his command staff approximately a month ago that he would be leaving and submitted the letter to Scheele to officially start the resignation process.

"There are a lot of pieces to the puzzle…family, health, succession, and a few other pieces," Bensley says. "The time is just right. I feel good and I’m healthy, but I’ve always said I was not going to run for another term. All those pieces just seemed to fit together, and things are going well in the department."

According to Scheele, Michigan law states that a committee comprised of the probate judge, the county clerk, and the prosecuting attorney "shall appoint a suitable person to fill the vacancy and complete the term of office expiring December 31, 2024." That committe will hold its first meeting on Tuesday (August 8) at 3pm in the probate courtroom on the second floor of the Hall of Justice. The meeting agenda outlines a proposed timeline of events that includes sending out a press release requesting applications for the position of sheriff, reviewing applications at a meeting, interviewing applicants, and then appointing a replacement.

Bensley says that whoever his successor will be is "obviously not my decision. That’s up to the clerk, prosecutor, and judge." He adds: "I’m sure some people will be interested. But it will be a straightforward process, and I hope to have a successor before I retire."