IS IT THE TRUTH:
Sometimes You Need A Shovel To Find It!
1. Review:
At the November 4, 2025, Village of Climax Council meeting the Council voted to turn over to the Village attorney the “negotiation” of three code enforcement debts. These debts arose because three property owners, two living outside the Village, failed to voluntarily comply with provisions of the Village code. This is the same Village code that preserves the livability of our small hamlet.
Because two of Bill Lewis’ allies on the Council were absent (Denise Pyle and Ben Moore) Bill Lewis had to persuade the three “minority” Council Trustees to allow him to move this activity out of the public observation. But Lewis sets what the attorney can and cannot do.
Trustees Ludwig, Sutherland, and Chaney are a “minority” because they have demonstrated over time selfless and honorable service to the residents of the Village. They are reasonable, serious, and honest people. They have no personal agenda and honor the trust placed in them by the Village community.
How did Lewis obtain their agreement? Take a look here:
https://climaxprairie.news/village-council-meeting-november-4-2025/
- Code Enforcement Debts:
Since that November 4 meeting the debt for the demolition and cleanup of the structure at 329 W. Maple St. has been paid in full. Two code enforcement related debts remain. One is for the cleanup of the Moore property at 115 Watson St. back in 2022. The other accrued after a Judge of the 8th District Court in Kalamazoo found Anthony Bates in contempt of court and imposed upon him a daily fine for failing to get permits and inspections for construction on his apartment building at 110 S. Main St. Bill Lewis has not provided to the Council and public the information necessary to determine the total amount of the fines.
The debt on the Moore property is likely to remain unpaid for the foreseeable future. However, there is a recorded lien on the property held by the Village of Climax in the approximate amount of $2,850.
- The Debt Of Anthony Bates For Contempt Of Court:
Anthony Bates was Court ordered to obtain permits and inspections on his property at 110 S. Main St. The debt is the result of a fine of $25 per day for noncompliance beginning June 1, 2023. A properly recorded Notice Of Municipal Conditions And Pending lien exists on the property. A lien should be recorded by the Village once the total amount of the fines has been determined. Bill Lewis has sought to compromise this debt.
Lewis has indicated that he seeks to recover only the “costs” incurred by the Village to obtain Bates’ court ordered compliance. But, “costs” were never awarded to the Village against Bates and the collection of such would be something not in the Court’s contempt order. Bates was fined and that fine was to end when he complied with permitting and inspection requirements set out by the Court.
At the November 4 meeting Lewis made various claims in his efforts to obtain enough votes to turn negotiation of the debts over to the Village attorney.
- Inconsistencies:
Lewis claimed at the November 4 Council meeting that he had:
“… talked to the Court and talked to the Magistrate.”
about the Bates order. He twice mentioned talking to the “Magistrate”.
But at the November 18 Council meeting Lewis was confronted with information that the order was signed by an 8th Circuit Court Judge in Kalamazoo and not a Magistrate. And, that the Judge denied talking to him about the case and in fact didn’t know who he was. His belated response in that meeting was that he had:
“… called into the Court and talked to a gentleman who worked as part of the Magistrate is what I’ve been saying and he asked the questions for me. I didn’t talk to the man directly. He came back with his things from there.”
Certainly, different than his claim that he “talked to the Magistrate”.
It sounded less than candid! Courthouse employees are forbidden to give legal advice. Did some courthouse employee take questions from Lewis, pull the Court file, then run questions about a Court’s order to the Judge that entered it, have the Judge review the order, obtain answers to the questions, then call Lewis back with the answers offering legal advice in the process? Doubtful!
And why would Lewis claim to have talked to a “Magistrate” about the Bates debt? One possible explanation is that he thought it added “authority” to his pitch to turn the negotiation of the debts over to the Village attorney. By Lewis’ telling, the legal advice he received from the “Magistrate” made the matter appear more difficult. Otherwise, Lewis could have simply asked these things of the Village attorney with whom he is in constant contact? It all sounds made up!
Trustee Denise Pyle, working hand-in-glove with Lewis to reduce or eliminate the Bates debt, has said disparagingly that recovery of the fines Bates was ordered to pay would be a “profit” for the Village. Profit? Spoken like someone opposing accountability, not understanding the purpose of fines, and failing to understand that “profit” is not a dirty word. We can’t all be government employees unconcerned about “profit”.
These fines are not a profit for the Village. There was no sale of goods or services. It is the result of a daily fine imposed upon Anthony Bates for his failure to comply with the order of a Judge of the 8th District Court in Kalamazoo. No matter who you are or who you think you are, getting into a contest of wills with a Judge is never a good idea.
There is no indication by Lewis publicly that Bates has complied with the Court’s order of May 15, 2023. At $25 a day the debt had accumulated to $10,675 as of November 12, 2024, according to the previous Village attorney. This was just before Lewis took over as Village President on November 20, 2024. That debt is thousands more if the order has not been complied with. Lewis should certainly know whether or not there has been compliance and if so, when it occurred. But he’s not saying. All he had to do was make a phone call to SAFEbuilt to find out. And having done as much “leg-work” on this debt as Lewis claims to have done and having talked to SAFEbuilt about the matter as he has said, Lewis must have gotten the information to answer that question.
It is to be noted that the Court also prohibited occupancy of Bates’ apartment building at 110 S. Main St.:
“… until the provisions of (the) Order (May 15, 2023) are complied with and the Building Official (SAFEbuilt) has approved it.”
It appears that the building remains unoccupied. Does this indicate that the Court’s May 15, 2023 order has not been complied with? Maybe or maybe not. But Lewis and SAFEbuilt know but haven’t said publicly.
- Why Would Lewis Reduce Or Eliminate The Bates Debt:
Why would Lewis seek to reduce or eliminate this debt? Why would Lewis omit key pieces of information as to whether or not the court’s order has been complied with? Why has the Counsel not heard from SAFEbuilt rather than having Lewis act as Bates’ advocate? One possibility is that there has been some relationship between Bill Lewis and Anthony Bates, the full scope of which is unknown.
Anthony Bates worked with Bill Lewis to obtain the Village Council’s approval of the District Library Agreement that eventually closed the Lawrence Memorial Library and turned over the assets and library operations to the Lawrence Memorial District Library. Bates and Lewis worked together in support of the campaign to impose a library property tax which has been added to our government burden as property owners and renters.
Bates was the first president of the Lawrence Memorial District Library and Lewis was appointed its director with Bates support. A position Lewis occupies to this date. Bates and Lewis continued to work together in adopting the governing structure and policies of the Lawrence Memorial District Library. Lewis was at least tacitly supportive of Bates in Bates’ three attempts to be elected to public office. And while he was Deputy Township Clerk, Lewis worked with Bates’ wife who is a member of the Township Board. Bates supported Lewis in Lewis’ election as President of the Village Council.
Another factor could be that Bill Lewis has a history with Village code enforcement. A history in which code compliance was sought by the Village. Lewis’ “soft” approach to code enforcement has resulted in the Village becoming blighted again. Is he bending over backward to undermine code enforcement by trying to reduce or eliminate the debt created by the fines levied against Anthony Bates? Only Lewis knows for sure!
- Who Is To Receive The Fines Imposed By The Court:
The voters of the Village did not elect the Lewis four (Bill Lewis, Denise Pyle, Carolyn Kelly, and Ben Moore) contempt fines. Moreover, Michigan Compiled Statute 66.13 provides:
“ … a fine imposed for a violation of an ordinance of the village shall be received by the clerk of the court in which judgment or conviction was had.”
The only exceptions are cases in which a fine is paid to a parking violations bureau or a municipal ordinance violations bureau. The Village has neither.
The word “shall” is mandatory allowing for no other means of receiving payment of fines. Among other things this lets the Court know that its order has been complied with. Shenanigans like reducing or eliminating fines will certainly come to the Court’s attention.
And, it is not perfectly clear whether the money is owed to the Village or to the 8th District Court (the County). The Village should file a request with the Court to answer who’s owed the money and how much it is. A hearing with witnesses will make the answers perfectly clear. This is the fairest way for the Village and Mr. Bates.
- Is It The Truth:
Are we watching wheeling and dealing going on behind our backs? If so, the Michigan Open Meetings Act prohibits such behavior. And, quoting the Michigan Municipal League:
“The policy of the state of Michigan is that the public is entitled to full and complete information regarding the affairs of government and the actions of those who represent them.”
We don’t always know whether the people we elect to office subscribe to a code of ethics such as the Ten Commandments or the Boy Scouts code. The Village has no written ethics code. But we do know that Lewis is a member of the local Rotary Club. And we can find an ethical code there. Rotary International has an ethical standard set out in a “Four-Way Test”. It is a nonpartisan and nonsectarian ethical guide for Rotarians to live by. It is recited at club meetings and well-known to all members.
It applies to the things Rotarians think, say, or do. The first of these four tests asks the question “Is it the TRUTH?”. Not my truth or your truth or their truth, but the whole truth. Omissions of key pieces of information that mislead others, or shaping the truth , is something that society should condemn because it undermines democratic governance.
We expect the individuals that we elect to share our basic values. We may not agree on the policies, but we are at least entitled to:
“ … full and complete information regarding the affairs of government and the actions of those who represent them.”
It is the height of disrespect to hide the public’s governing affairs from the public and its representatives. It shows contempt for the position to which we elect our representatives. It also demonstrates a willingness to treat people differently based upon considerations outside what is fair for all.
Accountability for such behavior is like Karma. It comes around.
END
