Ottawa County - Any of You Dudes Living with the Train Wreak of a County Commission?

by **Trapper Gus** Wed Jan 11, 2023 8:22 am

https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/ottawa-county-hires-law-firm-sought-void-2020-election

I get taking the county in a new direction, not one I have sympathy with but if you told people what you were going to do, and you can get the votes, then have at it.

However, you still need to follow the state laws regarding open meetings and hiring procedures.

by **Turtleneck** Wed Jan 11, 2023 11:42 am

If you don't like the rules, you don't have to follow them and you can lie if anybody questions you.

Co-Signed,

Donald Trump and Jim Harbaugh

by **Trapper Gus** Wed Jan 11, 2023 12:31 pm

Turtleneck wrote:If you don't like the rules, you don't have to follow them and you can lie if anybody questions you.

Co-Signed,

Donald Trump and Jim Harbaugh

I'm guessing these guys are going to waste a ton of the county's money defending themselves from lawsuits.

by **Trapper Gus** Wed Mar 01, 2023 8:18 am

https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2023/03/embattled-ottawa-county-health-officer-no-longer-meets-conditions-of-appointment-after-revision-by-new-board.html

by **GRR Spartan** Thu Mar 02, 2023 6:09 pm

Have relatives living there. One did very well at Herman Miller and has a place on Lake Macatawa so he’s not moving but is concerned that the county will start losing businesses to Kent County or Kalamazoo County that have workforces similar to Ottawa County.

Ottawa County is a real life example of what happens when a very “conservative“ political group that claims to be “Christian” rolls in to run a political body with their “faith based” principles. An American Taliban that wants to write their own rules as they go along.

by **Motown Spartan** Thu Mar 02, 2023 6:37 pm

It’ll all unravel when they try to ban dancing.

by **GRR Spartan** Thu Mar 02, 2023 11:55 pm

Motown Spartan wrote:It’ll all unravel when they try to ban dancing.

Ottawa County has has issued 3 marijuana licenses and low tax income from them.
Kent County has 30, Allegan County has 8, Muskegon County has 22.

https://www.mlive.com/cannabis/2023/02/see-which-michigan-counties-got-1m-or-more-in-marijuana-tax.html

by **Trapper Gus** Fri Mar 03, 2023 8:00 am

Motown Spartan wrote:It’ll all unravel when they try to ban dancing.

Come on Man, this is what you meant! /s

by AvgMSUJoe Fri Mar 03, 2023 10:20 am

Trapper Gus wrote:
Motown Spartan wrote:It’ll all unravel when they try to ban dancing.

Come on Man, this is what you meant! /s

Yeah man, the bible said let's all smoke pot!!! - Kevin bacon

by **Turtleneck** Wed May 24, 2023 1:11 pm

Ottawa County becomes ‘constitutional county’

https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2023/05/ottawa-county-becomes-constitutional-county.html

by **Jake from State Farm** Wed May 24, 2023 1:25 pm

Turtleneck wrote:Ottawa County becomes ‘constitutional county’

https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2023/05/ottawa-county-becomes-constitutional-county.html

Time to cut any state funding that goes towards policing the county?

by **Trapper Gus** Wed May 24, 2023 1:29 pm

Jake from State Farm wrote:
Turtleneck wrote:Ottawa County becomes ‘constitutional county’

https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2023/05/ottawa-county-becomes-constitutional-county.html

Time to cut any state funding that goes towards policing the county?

Just disband the local police and turn it all over to the State Police.

Unlike the relationship between the federal government and the states, in the relationship between the state and the counties, townships and cities the state sets all the rules.

by **Turtleneck** Wed May 24, 2023 2:06 pm

Jake from State Farm wrote:
Turtleneck wrote:Ottawa County becomes ‘constitutional county’

https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2023/05/ottawa-county-becomes-constitutional-county.html

Time to cut any state funding that goes towards policing the county?

My guess is they will not be giving up any federal funding anytime soon. How much of this do they plan to return to the federal government?

https://www.miottawa.org/Departments/FiscalServices/arpa-plan.htm

by **Travis of the Cosmos** Wed May 24, 2023 2:17 pm

I hereby declare myself a constitutional individual. The only laws that will apply to me are the laws that conform with my very specific interpretation of the constitution.

by **Motown Spartan** Wed May 24, 2023 2:17 pm

I’m going to submit plans to open an abortion clinic in Holland and Grand Haven. Let’s see how willing they are to protect the Michigan Constitution.

by **Motown Spartan** Wed May 24, 2023 2:21 pm

Let’s all go be gay in Grand Haven.

by sεяεηιτλ Wed May 24, 2023 3:03 pm

Motown Spartan wrote:Let’s all go be gay in Grand Haven.

organize a festival called the big gay tulip festival where everyone comes dressed up as their favorite flower and you have to dance as you traverse the streets on foot.

Get some permits to hold it. If they deny prominent space, change the name to the big gay tulip invasion and hold it in the streets anyways.

by **Trapper Gus** Fri Aug 25, 2023 7:45 am

https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-health-watch/long-simmering-battle-over-public-health-comes-head-ottawa-county

A political showdown in Michigan's Ottawa County has moved into the national spotlight, after the county’s deeply conservative political leaders instructed the public health officer to cut the county’s contribution to her office’s budget in half.

Conservative Commissioners - we don't want people to be healthy!

by AvgMSUJoe Fri Aug 25, 2023 9:06 am

Eww... last hotel stay i had in west Michigan had bed bugs... so go ottawa!

by **GRR Spartan** Fri Aug 25, 2023 5:36 pm

There is going to come a time sooner than later when Gentex, Herman Miller, Magna, Shape and other large employers are going to find out they can’t recruit management and when the shoe drops on epidemics set into motion from lack of vaccinated people it’s going to be ugly.

Ottawa County is what the MI GOP aspires to see at the state level.

by **Trapper Gus** Thu Nov 09, 2023 7:03 am

https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2023/11/a-gross-misuse-of-taxpayer-funds-ottawa-county-officials-react-to-4m-health-officer-settlement.html

Apparently, it is worth 4.125 million dollars to Conservatives to fire the health Officer and replace her with a friend of one of the Commissioners.

by **GRR Spartan** Thu Nov 09, 2023 11:36 am

Here’s a link to the Holland Sentinel that gives a pretty concise description of what the Ottawa County board of County Commissioners with its Ottawa Impact majority agreed to have its Public Health Director leave.

Don’t think the citizens have been well served by the board, their hand picked executive John Gibbs, Gibb’s assistant nor the attorneys from Kallman Legal Group from Lansing who was “advising” them on Hambly’s attempted removal.

The clowns are driving the bus.

Ottawa County $4M settlement

by **Trapper Gus** Fri Nov 17, 2023 7:59 am

https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2023/11/ottawa-county-commissioner-resigns-due-to-significant-changes-in-personal-professional-life.html

https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2023/11/man-long-involved-in-far-right-politics-hired-as-deputy-ottawa-county-administrator.html

by **Trapper Gus** Sat Nov 18, 2023 8:40 am

https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/health-official-michigan-taking-county-court-4-million-104963025

What a soap opera.

The board was ready to piss away 33% of the yearly operating budget until it became public, and now are in for a world of hurt with a lawsuit.

edit - December 5th

https://www.wzzm13.com/article/news/politics/major-victory-adeline-hambley-muskegon-michigan-judge-orders-ottawa-county-november-6-closed-session-minutes/69-b313a667-61d4-4c99-aae6-02b4f40fbbf5

by **Trapper Gus** Fri Dec 01, 2023 8:50 am

edit - December 1st

Just more money wasted by these fools...

https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/ottawa-mulls-paying-concealed-carry-gun-permits-county-workers

by **Trapper Gus** Tue Dec 05, 2023 7:34 am

And the greatest hits just keep on coming.

OTTAWA COUNTY, MI – Amid a lawsuit alleging he discriminated against a prospective employee, Ottawa County Administrator John Gibbs wants to give his office more control over the hiring process and have the final say on who is hired by the county.

Those unilateral hiring decisions are “to be used only for certain strategic positions or leadership positions,” according to a memo from Gibbs to the county board on the proposed changes.

The proposed policy, however, does not enshrine that restriction.

https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2023/12/john-gibbs-proposes-consolidating-ottawa-county-hiring-decisions-to-his-office.html

by **Trapper Gus** Thu Dec 07, 2023 7:25 am

OTTAWA COUNTY, MI — After all four current veterans affairs staff members for Ottawa County announced their resignation, county officials say more than 30 people have applied to become the new director of veterans affairs.

Currently, veterans services are provided to Ottawa County residents through contracted staff, as has been the case since 2011. But during the budget process for fiscal year 2024, County Administrator John Gibbs added in funding for a new director of veterans affairs and “additional funding for creating of (a) department.”

In 2023, the county spent just over $64,000 for veterans affairs. In the 2024 budget, which took effect on Oct. 1, the new veterans affairs department has a budget of $288,498, an increase of 350% from the year before. That budget includes a director of veterans affairs with a job salary range of $81,184.90 to $105,526.51 annually.

https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2023/12/30-apply-for-new-ottawa-county-veterans-affairs-job-current-staff-resigns.html

by **GRR Spartan** Thu Dec 07, 2023 10:44 am

County Administrator John Gibbs apparently was lost in the intricacies of administrating Ottawa County so in August he hired 23 year old Jordan Epperson who was a legislative aide to Rep Neil Friske (R) from Charleroix. Epperson also has connections with former GOP Co-Chair Meshawn Maddockand Joel Studebaker who is chief of staff for current GOP Chair Kristine Karamo.

Epperson was hired without any job posting. Gibbs /Ottawa county Board approved to raise annual salary for the position from $54,101 to $81,538 annually

https://www.hollandsentinel.com/story/news/politics/county/2023/09/08/heavily-redacted-emails-suggest-ottawa-aides-hire-was-contested/70788348007/

https://www.woodtv.com/news/ottawa-county/report-ottawa-co-hires-executive-aide-with-far-right-links/

by **DWags** Thu Dec 07, 2023 11:10 am

GRR Spartan wrote:County Administrator John Gibbs apparently was lost in the intricacies of administrating Ottawa County so in August he hired 23 year old Jordan Epperson who was a legislative aide to Rep Neil Friske (R) from Charleroix. Epperson also has connections with former GOP Co-Chair Meshawn Maddockand Joel Studebaker who is chief of staff for current GOP Chair Kristine Karamo.

Epperson was hired without any job posting. Gibbs /Ottawa county Board approved to raise annual salary for the position from $54,101 to $81,538 annually

https://www.hollandsentinel.com/story/news/politics/county/2023/09/08/heavily-redacted-emails-suggest-ottawa-aides-hire-was-contested/70788348007/

https://www.woodtv.com/news/ottawa-county/report-ottawa-co-hires-executive-aide-with-far-right-links/

Honestly, these fuckers are gonna take over school boards and local towns and communities in our country will be even more fucked

by **Trapper Gus** Sat Dec 09, 2023 9:09 am

DWags wrote:
GRR Spartan wrote:County Administrator John Gibbs apparently was lost in the intricacies of administrating Ottawa County so in August he hired 23 year old Jordan Epperson who was a legislative aide to Rep Neil Friske (R) from Charleroix. Epperson also has connections with former GOP Co-Chair Meshawn Maddockand Joel Studebaker who is chief of staff for current GOP Chair Kristine Karamo.

Epperson was hired without any job posting. Gibbs /Ottawa county Board approved to raise annual salary for the position from $54,101 to $81,538 annually

https://www.hollandsentinel.com/story/news/politics/county/2023/09/08/heavily-redacted-emails-suggest-ottawa-aides-hire-was-contested/70788348007/

https://www.woodtv.com/news/ottawa-county/report-ottawa-co-hires-executive-aide-with-far-right-links/

Honestly, these fuckers are gonna take over school boards and local towns and communities in our country will be even more fucked

Maybe in places where the voters are crazy, like Ottowa County, though with this group throwing money around they may not last past the next election.

There are a number of school boards around the country where the Mom's for Liberty took over last cycle and were tossed out this cycle. Most of these people are just incompetent, which doesn't last long at a local level.

by **Trapper Gus** Sat Dec 23, 2023 10:26 am

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/12/23/ottawa-county-commissioners-michigan-department-health/

Oh good, now this comedy has made it to the national news level.

by **Trapper Gus** Thu Feb 22, 2024 1:17 pm

https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2024/02/john-gibbs-placed-on-administrative-leave-by-ottawa-county-leaders.html

So while working out how much they should spend to get rid of the county health officer who made them wear masks the County Board has decided to fire the County Official they hired because ... no reasons...

Good Grief

by **Trapper Gus** Tue Feb 27, 2024 7:39 am

https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2024/02/ottawa-county-health-officer-will-keep-job-under-tenative-settlement.html

Have the powers of darkness been beaten back this one time?

by **Jake from State Farm** Tue Feb 27, 2024 8:21 am

Trapper Gus wrote:https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2024/02/ottawa-county-health-officer-will-keep-job-under-tenative-settlement.html

Have the powers of darkness been beaten back this one time?

Maybe the taxes are too high there if they're throwing millions of dollars around to get people to not work for the county

by **GRR Spartan** Tue Feb 27, 2024 11:39 am

WOTS is new MI GOP Chair Pete Hoekstra and/or one of his party aides had a sit down with County Council Chair Joe Moss, the leader of Ottawa impact and told him to stop the shit, including letting no experience County Executive Gibbs make deals like $4M to the county health official so she’d walk away.

MI Democrats were given a gift by pointing out what happens when right wing Trump supporters take over like they did Ottawa County since January ‘24 when Ottawa Impact arrived.

Don’t think is a coincidence that Ottawa Impact board of commissioners reinstated the same person they were willing to pay $4M to go away less than 60 days ago at the same time measles is re-emerging in MI and blowing up in FL.

Toss in the GOP stepping in it with the IVF fiasco and at least in MI they’ve given campaigning Democrats a gift. Like the late House Speaker Tip O’Neil said, “All politics are local”.

by **Trapper Gus** Tue Feb 27, 2024 12:24 pm

GRR Spartan wrote:WOTS is new MI GOP Chair Pete Hoekstra and/or one of his party aides had a sit down with County Council Chair Joe Moss, the leader of Ottawa impact and told him to stop the shit, including letting no experience County Executive Gibbs make deals like $4M to the county health official so she’d walk away.

MI Democrats were given a gift by pointing out what happens when right wing Trump supporters take over like they did Ottawa County since January ‘24 when Ottawa Impact arrived.

Don’t think is a coincidence that Ottawa Impact board of commissioners reinstated the same person they were willing to pay $4M to go away less than 60 days ago at the same time measles is re-emerging in MI and blowing up in FL.

Toss in the GOP stepping in it with the IVF fiasco and at least in MI they’ve given campaigning Democrats a gift. Like the late House Speaker Tip O’Neil said, “All politics are local”.

Not fond of any Republican but at least Hoekstra isn't stupid.

by **Trapper Gus** Fri Mar 01, 2024 8:08 am

OTTAWA COUNTY, MI — In a meeting in which Ottawa County Administrator John Gibbs was not present, the county board voted to fire him from the top county role.

The county commissioners fired him with cause Thursday night, Feb. 29. It was nearly a unanimous vote with the lone Democrat voting against the motion that ends Gibbs’ 14-month run as county administrator.

https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2024/03/ottawa-county-fires-john-gibbs-after-a-myriad-of-allegations.html

by **Trapper Gus** Fri Mar 15, 2024 7:56 am

https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2024/03/kept-in-the-dark-and-fed-bs-what-it-feels-like-to-see-your-county-board-taken-over.html

Patrick McCarty, a Park Township resident who took the poll, told MLive/The Grand Rapids Press that his trust in Ottawa Impact is zero and that it’s “total chaos.”

“All I know, people in this township are like mushrooms,” McCarty said. “I feel like they’re kept in the dark and fed B.S. It’s time for all the B.S. at the county level to quit.”

Ron Wilson, a strong Republican who may vote for an Ottawa Impact candidate this year, told MLive/The Grand Rapids Press that he thinks some of the group’s ideas are laudable, but he strongly disagrees with how they’ve approached governance.

“The problem comes in that the idiots, the morons, that got elected immediately abandoned their premise of working with others and just started arbitrarily enacting rules, firing people, just making different statements, different actions that were not in keeping with the best interests” of the county’s residents, he said.

https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2024/03/ottawa-is-michigans-fastest-growing-big-county-heres-why-people-live-there.html

by **Floyd Robertson** Wed Aug 07, 2024 9:32 am

2024 Michigan elections: Ottawa Impact loses board majority in primary

The election losses will end a two-year majority for Ottawa Impact, which garnered attention for changing a county motto that members alleged promoted a “Marxist ideology” and attempting to fire a health officer and replace her with a former employee of an HVAC company, among other things.

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