“Would you buy a used car from this man?” That question became a popular refrain in the 1960’s during one particular presidential campaign. The phrase asks the question “Can this person really be trusted?” This question is fairly asked now with regard to the three new members of the Village Council elected on November 5, 2024.
In that election Bill Lewis was elected as Council President and Denise Pyle and Ben Moore as Trustees. Along with Carolyn Kelly who was elected in 2022, these individuals have formed for good or ill a voting bloc on the Council. The remaining three members of the Council, Nick Ludwig, Janet Sutherland, and Joline Chaney, have served honorably and wisely and demonstrated themselves worthy of the trust that we in the Village have placed in them.
Villages are not governmental islands separate and apart from Federal and State laws. They are a creation of the State of Michigan and derive their power from the State. They are subordinate to the Federal and State Constitutions and national and state laws and regulations.
The Village Council is required to conduct the affairs of the Village faithfully and must do so in public. The Michigan Municipal League writes “A basic premise of democracy is that the public’s business is conducted in public. This requirement is particularly necessary in a representative democracy.” With this in mind, Michigan spelled out the people’s right to know in 1976. The Open Meetings Act and the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) demonstrate “…the policy of the State that the public is entitled to full and complete information regarding the affairs of government and the actions of those who represent them.”
Because there’s always bad apples who find ways to violate the public’s trust and keep the public in the dark, Michigan has laws for minimum standards of behavior of government representatives which includes Village Council members. For low or no ethics actors benefitting themselves or their friends, these laws are no more effective than laws against speeding, robbery, assault, or even murder. And the prosecutors and judicial system are increasingly unwilling or unable to act to hold even criminals accountable let alone local elected officials. The press has traditionally filled this gap in accountability.
So, the Village Council and other affairs of the Village will be examined on this site. This is not intended to compete with or replace other sources of information whether print or other media. It is intended to add to them.
