Tensions ran high once again at the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners meeting Tuesday, with another round of heated exchanges taking place between members regarding the Board’s lack of transparency.
It’s the second week in a row that the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners bickered over and voted down a proposal by Commissioner Doug Zylstra, the lone Democrat on the Board, who attempted to add a general comments and questions portion to the agenda for commissioners.
At odds with each other Tuesday were Ottawa County Board of Commissioner Silvia Rhodea, and Commissioner Jacob Bonnema, who recently cut ties with the Republican and far-right-conservative group Ottawa Impact that she co-founded with Commissioner Chair Joe Moss.
I’m for transparency and I think this is a great opportunity to show the public we can work really well together and communicate from our districts,” Bonnema said.
“You’re demanding an answer of another commissioner,” Rhodea said.
Earlier this year, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel publicly admonished the board for its lack of transparency, but says, so far, it had not broken any laws.
Moss called the public’s outcry over transparency, “fake news.”
“This is a manufactured crisis,” he said.
In January the Board sent shock waves throughout the county when it made a number of sweeping moves moments after being sworn including the permanent removal of the county’s department of diversity, equity and inclusion.