OTTAWA COUNTY, Mich. — The Ottawa County Board of Commissioners voted to walk-back a policy some had complained restricted the board from discussing important issues.
Ottawa Impact—the right leaning political action committee backing a majority of board members elected to serve in November—agreed with the decision.
Others shared concerns regarding the board’s motives and in general, the level of transparency they've seen from their county government since January when the new slate of board members formally took office.
The policy, which states ‘the board exercises limited power and that they can only entertain resolutions within their authority’ was set by the previous board.
Though the measure did come up in public comment, much of the discussion surrounding stripping the provision occurred during an earlier committee meeting.
The measure—included in the Commission’s consent agenda—passed as expected Tuesday, though not without opposition from members of the public in attendance.
“Today, I stand before you again after more and more horrific mass shootings,” one speaker said. “I'm angry that you want to disregard common sense gun laws. In favor of what? What are you hoping to accomplish?”
A supporter of the motion—of whom there were several—linked the original policy to precautionary measures observed during the coronavirus emergency.
“It looks like that by design to create plausible deniability. It was ‘Our hands are tied.’ The COVID hysteria has passed. The money was grabbed and spent. It is time to end this policy. One of the first resolutions I would like the board to take up is the Second Amendment resolution.”
The comment, which received some applause, referred to so-called ‘second amendment sanctuaries,’ a status that instructs law enforcement not to enforce strict gun laws.
The designation was listed during an earlier meeting as a potential topic of conversation once the policy in question had been erased.
Commissioner Roger Bergman said then he was appalled by the motion’s verbiage and referred to the rationale advanced by several of his colleagues as another ‘untruth.’
Other transparency-related concerns came to light early in Tuesday’s marathon session.
“I cannot adequately express the palpable sense of fear and low morale that many of us have felt since January,” a speaker who identified herself as a county employee noted.
The employee, who addressed the board during the public comment period, accused County Administrator John Gibbs of ‘discriminating’ against her during a conversation at work, when, in response to what she said were ordinary questions, she said Gibbs told her he could ‘tell which side of the aisle she was on.’
“The lack of transparency and divisiveness is tearing us apart.”
“You have been wrong from day one. You would have been wrong every time the court told you you were wrong. And you will be wrong until the day you die,” a second commenter said of governance-related concerns tied to the board’s high-profile fight to oust its health director.
Another resident questioned the circumstances surrounding Gibbs’ search for an assistant. During an earlier meeting, Gibbs explained he intended to delegate some of his duties to the candidate chosen.
Several others who addressed the board during the public comment period praised commissioners for their work thus far.
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