A group of recently elected officials in Ottawa County are being watched closely for their behavior before their official inauguration in January 2023. These officials were chosen on the ultra-conservative Ottawa Impact platform, and a three-judge state Court of Appeals panel will assess whether or not they broke the law by making important decisions before taking office.
Eight people who were elected in 2022 under the Ottawa Impact banner are at the center of the scandal. They made contentious decisions when they took office in January 2023, including firing the county administrator, closing the diversity office, switching legal representation, and trying to fire the health officer—a decision that is still mired in legal disputes.
Four inhabitants of Ottawa County filed a lawsuit in 2023, claiming that the Ottawa Impact group had broken the Open Meetings Act between the election in November 2022 and the county’s organizational meeting in January 2023. Important choices were allegedly made before the group’s official inauguration, according to the lawsuit.
The group lacked the ability to make decisions of this nature, according to a July ruling by a Muskegon court, which also found that the group had not broken any state laws. In a statement released in February, State Attorney General Dana Nessel likewise declared that the Open Meetings Act had not been broken.
Judges of the Court of Appeals are now investigating concerns over the jurisdiction of newly appointed board members for Ottawa County. The question of whether transitional decisions might be taken lawfully prior to acquiring power was brought up by Judge Michael Riordan.
In a different disagreement, the county and the health officer, Adeline Hambley, are involved in a $4 million settlement that could be paid. The Muskegon County Circuit Court hearing, which was initially set for Monday morning, was postponed until December 4. Further motions, such as those to drop subpoenas for evidence from the county clerk and commissioners, are the cause of the delay.
Sarah Howard, Hambley’s lawyer, asserts that on November 6th, the Board of Commissioners approved the settlement terms, which included the $4 million payment. She contended that the board’s decision to approve counsel’s advice indicated a consensus on key points.
David Kallman, the commissioners’ lawyer, retorted that no written agreement was made. He claimed that the emails Howard had used to support his claim of an agreement were only drafts and had never been presented to the board.
Howard stated that the settlement was for Hambley to leave her job by December 15, 2023, in exchange for $4 million, and for Deputy Health Officer Marcia Mansaray to depart with a one-year salary severance. According to Howard, the commissioners voted in favor of the settlement after deliberating over its details in closed session and documenting it via email. They then met again on November 14 to debate further parameters.The complexity and contentiousness of the issue in Ottawa County, where legal authorities are tasked with settling a financial disagreement with a high-ranking health officer and evaluating the legitimacy of choices taken by incoming officials, are highlighted by the current legal processes.
A group of recently elected politicians in Ottawa County are accused of making crucial choices before taking office in January 2023, and this court drama is still ongoing. These political figures, who ran their campaigns on the firmly conservative platform Ottawa Impact, are currently awaiting the outcome of a three-judge state Court of Appeals panel’s decision.
Eight members of the Ottawa Impact group who were elected in 2022 are at the center of the dispute. They started a string of contentious moves as soon as they assumed office in January 2023, including firing the county administrator, closing the diversity office, switching legal representation, and attempting to fire the health officer. The problem has gotten even more convoluted due to the latter’s involvement in judicial processes.
Four inhabitants of Ottawa County filed a lawsuit in 2023, claiming that the Ottawa Impact group had broken the Open Meetings Act between the election in November 2022 and the county’s organizational meeting in January 2023. According to the lawsuit, significant choices were made prior to the group’s formal assumption of their positions.
Even though the group had gathered as a group, a Muskegon court had already ruled in July that they had not broken any state laws and questioned the organization’s ability to make judgments. In February, State Attorney General Dana Nessel added her perspective and declared that the Open Meetings Act had not been broken.