Bill Bullard Jr. (1943-2020): Former county chair proved adept at navigating shifting political winds

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By Tom Kirvan
Legal News

One of Oakland County's staunchest Republicans, Bill Bullard Jr. once rubbed journalistic elbows with a fellow University of Michigan student whose political leanings were described by some pundits as "left of Marx and Lenin."

Bullard, an attorney and chairman of the Oakland County Board of Commissioners from 2005-11, broke bread at The Michigan Daily in the mid-'60s with Tom Hayden, one of the foremost student political activists of his generation who was a co-founder of the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and gained fame as a member of the "Chicago Seven" arrested at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in the Windy City.

Hayden, who would later marry actress Jane Fonda, served as editor of The Daily during a U-M time when Bullard was cutting his teeth as sports editor of the student-run publication. While they shared an interest in the value of the fourth estate, Bullard and Hayden seemingly were never destined to travel along the same political path.

"Our only link was that we both worked at The Daily," Bullard said of his former newspaper compatriot. "Fortunately, that's where the comparisons end."

The anecdotal story was a Bullard favorite, one that he enjoyed sharing with friends on both sides of the political aisle. A willingness to reach out to his political opponents in search of compromise was a Bullard trademark, one indelibly etched in his legacy following his death December 18 from complications of COVID-19 and cancer, according to friends and former colleagues. He was 77.

"Bill was a dear friend and a man of exceptional political skill who always had the public's interest at heart," said attorney Gordon Snavely, who for years has chaired Oakland County's Claims Review Committee. "In addition to his extensive and distinguished career in public service, Bill possessed a mindset and perspective of life and people that was truly special. The magnitude of his loss is hard to put into words."

A native of Detroit, Bullard grew up in Grosse Pointe in a predominantly Republican household. His late father, Willis Sr., was a corporate attorney in Detroit and was active in local GOP politics. His late mother, Virginia, was another story.

"She was a Democrat, but I still dearly loved her," Bullard said during an interview with The Legal News several years ago, noting that his mother strongly encouraged his interest in public service.

"I've been interested in politics since I was very young," Bullard said in the interview. "I can remember watching Dwight Eisenhower at the Republican Convention when I was 9 years old and being fascinated by the political process. My dad was active in local Republican politics and was a supporter of Robert Griffin (former Congressman, U.S. Senator, and Michigan Supreme Court Justice). It's been in my blood."

The father of three children, Bullard was elected a Highland Township trustee in 1978, serving a two-year term as supervisor from 1980-82. In the fall of '82, Bullard was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives, earning re-election six times and serving as Assistant House Republican Floor Leader from 1985-90.

His service in Lansing then shifted to the State Senate in June 1996 when Bullard won a special election to fill a vacancy created by a resignation. He was re-elected to the State Senate in 1998, serving a four-year term in office.

As chair of the House Taxation Committee in 1993, Bullard was instrumental in helping shape the "property tax cut/school finance proposal, which later became known as Proposal A." As a legislator, he sponsored more than 170 bills that eventually became law, including Public Act 232 of 2001, which created two new circuit court judgeships for Oakland County, and the repeal of the Michigan Inheritance Tax (Public Act 54 of 1993).

Former Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Wendy Potts had a special appreciation for Bullard's determination and ingenuity as a leader.

"Bill was a friend and a dedicated public servant who was always responsive and responsible," said Potts, who for years served as chief judge of the Oakland Circuit Court. "We worked together on several issues while he was on the County Commission and in the Legislature. He was very helpful as we worked to solve the jail overcrowding issue. His creativity and support ultimately led to the passage of landmark legislation.

"He was the ultimate team player," said Potts. "He was taken too soon and will be sorely missed."

In 1998, Bullard was one of three state senators rated "Most Conservative" by Inside Michigan Politics based on the 1998 roll call votes. He wore his fiscal conservatism as a badge of honor.

In January 2011, Bullard was appointed county clerk and register of deeds, succeeding Ruth Johnson, who had been elected as Michigan's Secretary of State. During his time as clerk, Bullard took pride in helping implement various technology initiatives, including e-filing and e-recording.

A 1965 graduate of the U-M, Bullard once considered pursuing a career in journalism, working for several years with The Ann Arbor News, helping with layout responsibilities for the paper's sports department. He joined the newspaper as a stringer, covering Wolverine football practices leading up to the 1965 Rose Bowl against Oregon State, a game Michigan won handily 34-7.

"The newspaper business taught me a lot about writing and writing under deadline pressure," Bullard said in The Legal News interview. "I've always been a big sports fan, so I really enjoyed covering the football and hockey games. But I finally decided that my future was in the law."

He enrolled in night classes at the former Detroit College of Law, eventually earning his juris doctor in 1971. He joined his father's firm in Detroit later that year and once considered taking a job with the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office before deciding to gain his legal experience in the private sector.

Following his career in public service, Bullard returned to a private law practice that specialized in domestic relations work along with estate planning. He also was a registered lobbyist, noting that "as a legislator, I was lobbied for 20 years and now I'm returning the favor."

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'Chairman of the Board' made a lasting imprint

By Judy Cunningham

I met Bill Bullard in the mid-1990s when he was a State Senator and I was Circuit Court Administrator/Judicial Assistant. I eventually came to know Bill well and will remember him as a friend and an integral player in Oakland County politics.

During my tenure as the County's Corporation Counsel, Bill was a member of the County Board of Commissioners and soon became its chairperson. I worked with Bill on a myriad of substantive issues impacting all areas of county functions as well as procedural and parliamentary questions during board meetings. Bill's sense of humor and quick thinking and wit were often the saving grace for what otherwise may have been a contentious meeting.

Bill was a smart, savvy, and strategic politician; in fact, he was the consummate pol. He counted votes before meetings, chatted up commissioners on both sides of the aisle, and had a thorough read on which resolutions would ultimately pass muster with the board. He knew how to move things along and get it done.

I recall Bill's political acumen in managing sensitive jail overcrowding issues in 2007. The County Board passed a resolution creating a Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC) charged with developing a plan to manage chronic overcrowding at the County Jail. Then Chief Judge Wendy Potts served as chair of the CJCC and asked me to chair a subcommittee to draft legislation to the Jail Overcrowding Emergency Act. (Originally enacted in 1980, this earlier law was not designed to address frequent and chronic jail overcrowding.)

Both the CJCC and my subcommittee had representation from all of the constituencies in the criminal justice system: the courts - circuit, probate, district; the prosecutor, the Sheriff, the Oakland County Bar Association, the County Commission, Pre-trial Services, and others. In short, everyone who had skin in the game.

During the course of our collective efforts, Judge Wendy Potts and I were invited to a dinner meeting with judges throughout the county to provide an update on the CJCC's progress and efforts. We attended what we thought would be a productive meeting.

After the dinner, Judge Potts spoke to the group, reviewing the CJCC's efforts, proposals, progress - and was met with a small but vocal minority of judges who were beyond "displeased" with some of our proposals, despite the fact that they'd been represented in these efforts. A few of them spoke with such vitriol, it was beyond uncomfortable.

In fact, it was such a disaster the next day two judges who had been there called me to apologize for the boorish and inappropriate behavior of their colleagues. I thanked them for their calls - AFTER telling them they had a bizarre way of treating their dinner guests!

I had, of course, advised Bill Bullard what happened at our dreadful meeting. A day or two later he called and said the group had another meeting scheduled in a couple of weeks and asked me to meet with them again - this time on my own.

"Are you serious? Are you out of your mind?" I said, "after the way we were treated?" Bill told me had had spoken to some of the group and assured me this time it would be different. He patiently urged me to go, so finally I said, "the only way I'll go is if you go too. I'm not going alone."

So, we attended that subsequent meeting and everything went like clockwork. Bill had worked his magic with the group before the scheduled meeting. He had a knack for working behind the scenes with people individually and in small groups to reach consensus.

Bill was fun, funny, witty, and charming when he wanted to be.

Bill could also be a worthy opponent if he disagreed with you. In my case, as the county's attorney, I had to remind him a couple of times that my client was the County of Oakland and although he too was a client, I wasn't his personal attorney and on certain issues couldn't do his legal "bidding." Needless to say, he wasn't happy with me.

Eventually Bill took over as Oakland County Clerk/Register of Deeds. We continued to work together on county legal issues. When we disagreed, we nevertheless maintained a good working relationship and shared social occasions even after we both left our respective county jobs.

Bill Bullard had many political successes but he was most proud of his lovely daughter, Kayla. I think he thought of her as his best achievement and being her dad was his most precious role. He lit up when he talked about her. Kayla will miss him dearly as will so many of us who knew him and had the privilege to work with him.

Bill's political acumen and legal background were invaluable in the many roles he played throughout his life. He was perhaps the quintessential "Chairman of the Board."
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Judy Cunningham, a past president of the Oakland County Bar Association, served as Oakland County's corporation counsel for 14 years before retiring in 2013.

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