After a series of controversial decisions by the newly elected Ottawa County Board of Commissioners, a new coalition of area churches have aligned themselves in opposition.
The group, so far made up of eight local churches, has branded itself as the Unifying Coalition of Ottawa County, who say the County Board of Commissioners, many endorsed by Republican pac group “Ottawa Impact” have done nothing but divide the community since being sworn in.
In a statement, the new coalition called on other area churches to join the group and stand up against the Ottawa County Board, writing quote:
"Healing and reconciliation are deeply needed in Ottawa County, a place which has been and can continue to be a place where all belong," the statement reads.
On the coalition’s website, the group’s slogan reads “Together, we belong,” a reference to Ottawa County’s old slogan “Where You Belong.”
Back in January, moments after being sworn in, the newly elected members made a number of sweeping changes, one of them being to change Ottawa County’s slogan to “Where Freedom Rings.”
Since then, the board has made a number of controversial decisions seemingly at every meeting, including the elimination of the county’s department of diversity, equity, and inclusion, the termination of Ottawa’s top public health officer, appointing former congressional candidate John Gibbs as County Administrator, while recently declaring itself as a “constitutional county” and therefore exempt from any new, gun-law legislation.
On Tuesday, the Ottawa County Board criticized its local health department for participating in the Grand Haven Pride Festival, calling it an “endorsement” of the LGBTQ community and promoting what one commissioner labeled as “risky behavior.”
