ADDENDUM: The Code Enforcement Debts
Two of the three code enforcement debts owed to the Village before November 20, 2024 have been resolved. The only one that remains is the debt that Village President Bill Lewis claims is owed to the Village by Anthony Murat Bates. Anthony Murat Bates was held in contempt of court and ordered to pay $25 a day starting June 1, 2023, for failing to obey a Kalamazoo 8th District Court Judge’s order to obtain permits and inspections for remodeling done at 110 S. Main St.
As of November 12, 2024, that debt was $10,675 and the Village attorney at that time filed a “Notice Of Municipal Conditions and Pending Lien”. The debt was continuing to accumulate with each day that the Court’s order was not complied with. So, a final lien amount could not be determined at that time.
Bill Lewis has not disclosed at Council meetings when compliance occurred. Of course this made it easier for him to reduce the debt when the public and the Council members in charge of collecting it did not know how much it was. So, the whole Council was unable to get a fix on it and then proceed to collect it. The public was left in the dark. This was clearly intentional.
In September 2025 Trustee Denise Pyle attempted to offer a motion to compromise the debt at roughly $2,000. She was interrupted by a citizen and Bill Lewis backed off and Pyle did not proceed. We know from prior events that Trustee Pyle speaks for Lewis with his approval. While reducing the debt to $2,000 would be pretty shameful, it would be cause for tarring and feathering if the debt were larger.
For the sake of pointing out the absurdity of Lewis and Pyle’s effort to reduce the debt to $2,000, let’s assume that Bates’ compliance with the Court’s order occurred on June 4, 2025. That would mean an additional 203 days of fines at $25 per day totaling $5,075 in addition to the amount of the debt that was $10,675 on November 12, 2024. Assuming the June 4, 2025 compliance date, the debt would now be $15,750.
How many of us get our debts reduced to any degree? How many of us get our debts reduced by 87%? The fact that the money is owed because Mr. Bates failed to obey the Court’s order makes Lewis and Pyle’s effort to reduce the debt pretty despicable. It’s also unjust to the Village and a clear breach of the trust which the Village residents placed in them.
There are several grounds already for their removal. Betraying the Village on this debt would just add to the pile.
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