HIGHLIGHTS + OTTAWA COUNTY
Meeting highlights—Commissioner Kendra Wenzel, District 6
Published December 21, 2023
Written by Adams
Photography by Simply American
“I hope to foster a positive change, amplify the voices of everyday citizens in Ottawa County, and to uphold the oath of office.” —Kendra Wenzel, December 8, 2023, Public Interview
Ottawa County Board of Commissioners
Regular Session
Tuesday, December 12, 2023
Appointed
On December 12, 2023, the Board of Commissioners voted to fill the District 6 vacancy left by Kyle Terpstra, who resigned in November.
• Kendra Wenzel received six votes, Shawn Haff received two votes, and Joseph Parnell McCarter received one
• Commissioner Jacob Bonnema was absent
• Commissioner Roger Bergman, an 11-year county commissioner, tried to abstain from voting. Chair Joe Moss had to remind him that, according to Board Rule 6.4, he needed to state a conflict of interest to abstain, or he needed to vote.
Why Enter The Public Square
On her application and in her public interview, Wenzel was asked questions about why she wanted to get involved.
Following are two of her responses:
1. “I witnessed our state and county enact excessive government overreach that eroded our constitutional freedoms. In 2020, lockdowns began and our schools, churches, and businesses were closed. Our personal freedoms were being eroded on an ongoing basis. I made the decision to get involved, learn more, and do more. Therefore, I want to encourage and engage my constituents to have a renewed sense of civic duty and to actively participate in shaping the future of our county. I hope to foster a positive change, amplify the voices of everyday citizens in Ottawa County, and to uphold the oath of office.”
2. “It started on a personal level for me. Our daughter was in her junior year of high school and she had a legal medical mask exemption—so this was during the Covid era—and a police officer came and escorted her out of her classroom. She showed him her medical mask exemption, and he did not care. He took her out of school. We fought to get her back in. When she was in, she was put in the corner of a room and everybody was moved to the other side of the room away from her. She was shoulder checked in the hallway; it became a volatile environment for her. It lit a fire in me.”
Currently
Wenzel currently serves in other capacities in Ottawa County. She is:
• A precinct delegate
• An Executive Committee member of the Ottawa County Republican Party (OCRP) and Chair of Membership
• Responsible for vetting, recruiting, and mobilizing over 350 fellow precinct delegates
• Active in leadership and administrative support for the county Republican Party, establishing strategies, setting goals, and coordinating and supporting the Chair and fellow Executive Committee members in voter outreach, constituent involvement, and candidate recruitment
Others Respond
After Wenzel was appointed to the Board, Ottawa County Republican Party (OCRP) Chairman Brendan Muir provided a statement to Simply American:
“The OCRP interviewed multiple candidates and helped recruit for this position. With the appointment of Kendra, the OCRP feels the board is strengthened. We will continue to encourage her and the remaining Republicans into the 2024 season.”
Other candidates responded by taking to the “public comment” sections of the day.
• Two candidates congratulated Wenzel for her appointment
• One candidate, who didn’t make it to the final five, complained about the interview process, claiming that he had “been in numerous interview processes” and “in those processes there were multiple people. Eleven is not a multiple group.”
Wenzel was sworn in immediately after the vote. She will serve out the remainder of Kyle Terpstra’s term, ending December 31, 2024.
Meeting
Ottawa County Board of Commissioners
Regular Session
December 12, 2023
Location
Ottawa County Administration Building
12220 Fillmore Street
West Olive, MI 49460