Ortonville- The Oakland County Election Commission will decide on the clarity of new recall petition language against Village Council President Sue Bess after they denied the original recall petition language in a hearing a month ago.
Ellen Davis Halsey, director of Oakland County elections, confirmed that on Oct. 10, she received new language calling for an election to recall Bess. A clarity hearing is scheduled for 9:30 a.m., Oct. 23, in the courtroom of Chief Probate Court Judge Barry Grant, 1200 N. Telegraph, Pontiac.
The petition language includes: ‘Sue Bess has abused her power as village president by intimidating her village council members to vote according to her recommendations. She recommended the council to hire an underqualified personal friend into a supervisor village position. She recommended the council approve to pay over $25,000 for unwarranted drain improvements that benefitted only the Village Pub, personal friends to Bess. We do not believe this is the appropriate use for village tax dollars.?
Village resident Jane Derry, who had submitted the original language that failed, confirmed she was the one who had sent the new language in, and says she thinks it speaks for itself.
‘I like Sue personally,? said Derry, ‘but disagree that my tax dollars are being spent in this way. Hiring non-qualified personnel and providing village dollars to a profitable business isn’t sound business practice… Our village is so neat and has such a promising future, that I thought it was important to bring these issues to light.?
Derry was hesitant to give more details about the stated reasons, but confirmed that the underqualified personal friend of Bess in a supervisor position in the petition language referred to Department of Public Works Supervisor Bill Prince.
She explained that her problem with the village’s recent relocation of a storm drain underneath the Village Pub was that the drain was working fine for the village and should not have been their responsibility to pay for it.
‘The drain didn’t service the pub, it just interfered with their new septic needs,? Derry said. ‘I can understand helping them out a tad, but it wasn’t the village’s responsibility to pick that (bill) up.?
The village council voted unanimously at their July 10 meeting to reroute an existing storm drain to enable the Village Pub to install a water treatment system and come into compliance with requirements from the Department of Environmental Quality and the Oakland County Health Division.
Bess defends the move, saying the village unknowingly had a storm drain that went under the Pub property and it impeded the Pub owners from using their property.
‘We did that as responsible elected officials,? says Bess. ‘The entire council agreed.?
Bess also noted the council hired Bill Prince on the recommendation of a committee that included her and two other council members.
Prince was recently taken off probation, which he was on, Bess said, for lacking a commercial driver’s license, which he now has.
‘I’m just sorry they feel this is necessary,? said Bess of the recall petition effort, which Derry has said she is joined in by a group of concerned citizens. ‘I don’t think I have a village council that can be intimidated. As village council president it’s my job to be fair. I think to say that my council members could be intimidated is an insult to them.?
Village Council Member noted the verbage of this petition is definitely more spelled out this time, as opposed to the previous language, which stated: ‘We the undersigned electors, request that the recall of Susan K. Bess be placed before the voters of the village of Ortonville, Michigan. She has abused her power as Village President for financial gain to her personal friends, through unrightful employment and financial favors.?
Hanes scoffs at the notion that Bess has ever intimidated her.
‘She’s a friend of mine and is only looking out for the well-being of the village and these people who are making these statements need to research their facts,? she said. ‘I don’t ever see these citizens (behind the recall efforts) at our village council meetings… The information they have is fabricated, exaggerated. Sue Bess does not intimidate me, I will not speak for anyone else. I know she cares about this community. (Bess? opponents) don’t know the facts. The only way you would know the facts is if you sit in a council meeting and hear the facts.?