Minutes before the Board meeting started, an item was pulled from the agenda. After public comment and before the Board approved the agenda, Chairman Joe Moss explained why the Officers Compensation Recommendation/Resolution was taken off the agenda.

Moss explained that MCL 45.474, a short statue that outlines the rules of a county officers compensation commission, was broken twice by the Commission—led by Chairman Larry Jackson.

• The 60% raise was never legal with a vote of 3–1. The law requires at least four yea votes.

• The May 2, 2024 meeting was illegal due to being outside of the 45-day timeframe.

May 14, 2024 Ottawa County Board of Commissioners meeting.

During the Administrator Update there was discussion about the Officers Compensation Commission. The discussion was fueled by Commissioner Jacob Bonnema, who was concerned about how a non-compliant agenda item was on the agenda.

• “Because something was put on the agenda that was out of compliance, certain commissioners commented in support or against something when in the end it wasn’t even compliant to vote on,” Bonnema said.

• The agenda was posted on Friday, May 10, 2024, around 8:00pm. (Of note: Bonnema came out against the raise on May 3 and May 6, days before the agenda.)

• Bonnema continued to search for someone to blame for the non-compliant meeting resolution making the agenda

• Administrator Jon Anderson told Bonnema that the administration office puts together the agenda with the help of the chairs of the committees

• Having an agenda item be non-compliant is very rare, and it was not known if it had ever been caught before

• Chairman Moss explained to Commissioner Doug Zylstra that the Officers Compensation Commission still needs to submit a resolution based on the April 11, 2024 meeting, which would fall within the legal process window of 45 days

• Moss then would have the Board of Commissioners vote on the legal resolution

• “Personally, I do not want to be taking up a resolution that has recommendations in it that are outside the law,” said Vice Chair Sylvia Rhodea.

• “It is the responsibility of the Commission to follow the statute.” Rhodea continued, “If somebody is chairing the [Compensation] Commission, it would be their responsibility to make sure that the way the Board behaves, the Commission behaves, is within the parameters the statute outlines.”

• Commissioner Gretchen Cosby asked Moss if Larry Jackson had been invited to today’s meeting. Moss responded that he had asked Administrator Anderson to invite Jackson, but that Jackson had declined because he was busy.

After handling the issues brought forth by Larry Jackson submitting an invalid compensation resolution, the Board continued to do its job and received two annual reports.

• Ottawa County Prosecutor’s Office 2023 Annual Report

• 20th Circuit Court and Ottawa County Probate Court 2023 Annual Report

Ottawa County Board of Commissioners
Regular Session
May 14, 2024

Ottawa County Administration Building
12220 Fillmore Street
West Olive, MI 49460