Mel Paunovich, who served as the Brighton Township supervisor from 1990-1992 as a Democrat, is running for the 7th District seat on the Livingston County Board of Commissioners as a Republican. If elected, Paunovich will represent the City of Brighton and Brighton Charter Township Precincts 1, 3-5, 7-9.
Paunovich, who said he was a political independent in 1990, explained how he ended up running as a Democrat back then.
“I got a call from the Livingston County Republicans,” Paunovich said. “They were asking if I would run for Brighton Township supervisor as a Republican.”
Paunovich told the local GOP that he’d think about it.
“Five minutes later, the Democrats called, asking me to run,” Paunovich said. “And they said they’d fund my campaign 100 percent, so I called the GOP back, but they said they couldn’t fund me.”
And so, Paunovich ran as a Democrat — and won.
“But I was totally an independent,” he said, “but if someone’s going to fund the campaign …”
Paunovich decided to not seek re-election in 1992.
Today, Paunovich said he is a Republican “all the way.”
The 7th district is currently represented by Republican Martin Smith, who has not yet filed for re-election. The Livingston Post reached out to Smith on Dec. 27, 2023, to see whether he was planning to run for re-election, and he said he was, though he hasn’t yet filed in the eight weeks that have elapsed. Bob Sexton has filed to run for the District 7 seat as a Democrat.
In a release, Paunovich said he is uniquely qualified for the position.
“As an attorney and a former supervisor for the township, I understand the intricacies and legalities of county governments – particularly in the budget process,” he said. “And as a former police officer and detective for 26 years, I have a strong desire to do what I can to keep our county a safe place to live and work.”
Paunovich served in the United States Air Force, and as a police officer in Detroit. He became a detective in Southfield, and retired as a Lt. Commander of the Detective Bureau in 1993. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and chemistry from the Detroit Institute of Technology, and then a master’s degree in police administration and a law degree from the University of Detroit.
Paunovich currently practices law in Brighton. He and his wife, Carol, have two grown children, both of whom are attorneys.
“If elected, I will bring a great deal of experience and longevity in the district to the board,” said Paunovich. “I hope to utilize that institutional knowledge to best serve the county residents and businesses.”
