OLIVE TOWNSHIP, Mich. — More than a dozen people protested the new committee assignments for Ottawa County commissioners ahead of the board's January 16th meeting.
Board of Commissioners Chairman Joe Moss has the authority to appoint commissioners to the various standing committees. On Tuesday, Moss' decision on who serves on which committees got the spotlight from the public and other commissioners.
"Joe's assignment stifle dissenting voices and limit the diverse perspectives necessary for effective governance," said Monique Hanson, one of the people protesting the assignments.
"Please, at least be honest about your intentions," Cynthia Mushroe said during public comment. "It feels like instead of where freedom rings, our county motto should be where Joe Moss wants to reign."
"This attempting to silence commissioners who are not aligned with Ottawa impact results in limiting the representation of their constituents."
"If my voice is not heard on that subcommittee, it basically gets silenced those items," said Commissioner Jacob Bonnema, who was assigned just one committee seat in 2024. "And then I don't get to really weigh in on everything because some things get killed in committee and don't ever see the light of day in the main board meeting."
When asked by FOX 17 Tuesday about the assignments, Moss said they were not motivated by political vengeance.
The complaints are the latest in a series of resistance efforts since Ottawa Impact-backed candidates gained a majority of seats on the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners in the 2022 November election.
The main point of contention is how three commissioners, who are often outspoken against the majority, were each only appointed to one committee. The other eight commissioners received multiple assignments.
Moss did make one change to the initial committee structure, expanding the size of the Strategic Planning Committee to 11 seats and putting every commissioner on it.
The decision holds weight for what items make the full board's agenda. The usual path for an ordinance or zoning change starts with the various committees. While opponents say Moss stuffed the committees to ensure only approved proposals make it through, supporters say the new appointments will allow the county to focus on what's important.
"I think a priority this year for us is to have less drama in our county," said Commissioner Sylvia Rhodea, who serves as Vice-Chairman of the board. "And there has been a fair amount of drama on committees on a weekly basis. And so I very much support this move towards less drama, and more getting work done."
"I would just say that the committee assignments were based on merit and trust and that I agree with the committee assignments," Rhodea added.
