The Hastings Banner — Thursday, February 8, 2024 — Page 5Township can’t allow election denialism
to hinder upcoming proceedings
To the editor:
What a strange game of Clue.
A township clerk who unlawfully handed
over her tabulator to pseudo-patriots to be
“forensically” examined (and thereby
destroying a machine that cost thousands of
taxpayer dollars); who has sued the state
with allegations of election fraud (um,
excuse me?); who has an election denier
and paper-ballot-counter as an “election
specialist,” fires her deputy clerk (I’m sure
there’s a legitimate reason, right?) and
hires, as replacement, the wife of the sher-
iff’s deputy who has been carrying out, for
his boss, a more than two-year investigation
that has resulted in ... what? A FOIA war?
A promise that “something’s coming down
the pipe?” A much-touted report soon to be
released?
How will this game end?
Will Barry County – in this case, Irving
Township – again make embarrassing head-
lines? Will the dead horse continue to be
beaten? In Clue, it comes down to one sus-
pect, but in regard to Irving Township, I am
seeing several suspicious characters. Let’shope those working the elections – as inspec-
tors, challengers and canvassing board –
keep Irving Township in the ethical, rule-of-
law lane.Beth Donaldson
Rutland TownshipDo Barry County Republicans even
have a message?
Dear editor,
In response to an article in the Jan. 27,
2024, edition of The Hastings Reminder, I
would like to make a few comments.
It was correctly stated in the article that
Barry County is a deeply conservative county
positioned inside a Democratic-controlled
state, as the top officials in the state (Gover-
nor, Lt. Governor, Secretary of State, and
Attorney General – all Democrats) were
legally elected by the citizens of the state of
Michigan.
That said, The Reminder so graciously
gave both the Republican Party and the Dem-
ocratic Party chairs the opportunity to state
their message and goals for 2024.
I read with interest that the Republican
Party in Barry County admitted losing their
way; the chair saying, “our image is tarnished
and our message unclear.”
With that said, it appears that Republican
Party’s emphasis for 2024 will be on the fol-
lowing three tenets (according to the article):
- We must be willing to stand for the Ulti-
mate Law Giver from whom all our rights
and life flow, for there is no political question
that is not at its heart theological. - We must be willing to stand for freedom
and its consequent responsibility. - We must be willing to stand for truth –
not your truth or my truth, but truth.
What do the above three items even mean
and how would citizens of Barry County
understand how these three tenets would help
them in their everyday life?
Later in the article, the chair states, “We
must take this duty seriously and reestab-
lish the covenant with our maker as our
forefather’s possessed humility were will-
ing to do.”
Now as a Christian myself (which many
Democrats are), this sounds like a theocracy.
Granted, many of the early framers of the
Constitution were Christians (although not all
were), they did establish a separation of state
and church. From what the chair writes in the
Reminder article, I don’t think he under-
stands that concept.
In looking at the text of the article, I have
yet to see from the Republican Party any con-
structive ideas, goals, or priorities for 2024,
which was the purpose of the article, per the
headline. If you finished the article, you
would see that the Barry County Democratic
Committee outlined several goals for 2024,
such as improving Community Service,
engaging in Political Activities and Projects,
and efforts at Building Community.
These are all tangible projects that the
Democrats plan to pursue; these are all initia-
tives that will help every citizen of Barry
County. I ask you to please read this article
again and see if you can see the difference
between the goals of the Barry County
Republican Party and the Barry County Dem-
ocrat Committee.Betsy Colgan
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typed
Housing remains key economic driver,
priority for Hastings developments
Hunter McLaren
Staff Writer
Housing continues to be attractive for
developers looking to build in Hastings,
despite high interest rates and construction
costs.
The city received an offer from a develop-
er for 7.5 acres of residential property locat-
ed south of South Hayes Street and South
Orchard Street late last month. If no other
developers express interest in developing on
the site, the city could enter negotiations this
week, Community Development Director
Dan King said.
“They’re very interested in that piece for
some additional housing opportunities,”
King said. “We’ll wait and see once we get
to the site plan approval process, but I
believe for the type of project they’re look-
ing to develop, it’s going to be a very good
footprint for them.”
The parcel in question was acquired by
the city over 20 years ago in the late ‘90s.
Although there’s been some interest over
the years, King said the conditions to sell
the property are looking the best they ever
have.
“20 years later, things are different. Devel-
opers aren’t skittish about higher input costs
or higher interest rates,” King said. “(They)
understand there’s still a severe lack of hous-
ing in Hastings and know there’s an opportu-nity for them to bring new product online and
make it available.”
A new residential development at the site
would be the latest in a string of new housing
projects throughout Hastings. Even with the
60-unit Tyden Lofts project nearing comple-
tion and a 135-unit development at the former
Royal Coach site set to begin construction
soon, housing projects continue to be attrac-
tive for developers in Hastings. As the Grand
Rapids metro area continues to expand south-
ward, King said Hastings is set to capture
some of the resulting economic growth.
“We offer so many amenities that small
towns generally don’t offer, and our cost of
living is considerably lower than some of the
bigger municipalities. So as Grand Rapids
continues to expand, we will benefit from
that. People like the small town charm and
Hastings offers it.”
The city has room for industrial develop-
ment, too. An 8-acre city-owned lot north of
Enterprise Drive is still available after an
interested buyer passed on the property. City
council members will likely vote to re-list 14
acres of industrial property for sale at the
1500 block of Star School Road next week.
While the city is hopeful to see more inter-
est in those industrial properties in the com-
ing months, King said the continued interest
in housing developments is very promising.
“Everyone benefits. The city benefits, the
county benefits, schools benefit retail mer-
chants, service industries – they all directly
benefit from an increased housing base and
stock,” King said. “Housing is economic
development, and we’ve been trying to hit
that hard.”ORANGEVILLE TOWNSHIP
BOARD OF REVIEW
MEETING SCHEDULE
THE ORANGEVILLE TOWNSHIP BOARD OF REVIEW will be held at the Orangeville
Township Hall, 7350 Lindsey Rd. Plainwell Mi. 49080 on the following dates.Tuesday March 5 , Organizational Meeting - 4:00 pm
Monday, March 11, Appeal Hearing – 9:00 am to 12:00 noon & 1:00pm to 4:00 pm
Tuesday March 12, Appeal Hearing – 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm, & 6:00 pm to 9:00 pmThe Board of Review will meet as many more days as deemed necessary to hear
questions, protests and to equalize the 2024 assessments. By Board resolution, residents
are able to protest by letter, provided protest letter is received by March 11th, - 12:
noon. Written protests should be mailed to;
BOARD OF REVIEW
7350 LINDSEY RD.
PLAINWELL MI. 49080The tentative ratios and the estimated multipliers for each class of real property and
personal property are as follows;
Agricultural ........................ 50.35 %................ 0.
Commercial ........................ 47.63 %................ 1.
Industrial .................. 42.95 %..................1.
Residential ........................ 43.07 %................ 1.
Personal ........................ 50.00 %................ 1.(ADA) Americans with Disabilities Notice
Individuals with disabilities requiring auxiliary aids or services should contact the Clerk at
least seven (7) days in advance of hearing. This notice posted in Compliance with PA 267
of 1976 as amended (Open Meetings Act) MCLA41.72a (2) (3) and with the Americans
with Disabilities ActContacts – Clerk – Mel Risner: 269-664-
Supervisor- Thomas Rook: 616-299-2121555 Generations gather at Christmas
Middle seated: Anne M. Humphrey, great great grandmother.
Seated right: Jeanne Burger, great grandmother. Standing middle:
Jill Roblyer, grandmother. Seated left: Kali Salisbury, mother of
baby Francesca Ferrara.OPINION: Budget surplus should
mean tax cut for Michigan
Rep. Gina Johnsen
R-Lake Odessa
Rural Michigan is hurting.
People in our communities are working
extra hours for income that doesn’t go
nearly as far as it used to. Families are
leaving the grocery store with fewer items
after spending more. They go home to a
house with a thermostat set around 60
degrees because any higher would be too
expensive. That same family hasn’t been
out to eat or to a movie in months because
something in the budget had to give.
Michigan faces a $
million surplus as we enter
the budgeting season. It’s
time for politicians in Lan-
sing to stop treating our tax
dollars like a foregone con-
clusion. The middle class
has to earn those dollars
before Lansing takes them.
Elected officials have a duty
to respect that hard work by
ensuring dollars are spent
responsibly and effectively.
I’m supporting a recently
introduced plan to immedi-
ately lower the income tax rate from 4.
percent to 3.9 percent.
The Republican plan, House Bill 5399,
acknowledges ongoing hardships and
addresses them by offering much needed
tax relief. The best place for your money
isn’t in the governor’s bank account or an
electric vehicle rebate; the best place for
your money is in your pocket.
Inflation hit people hard and it hasn’t let
up. If everyday people can tighten their
belts and budget better, the state govern-ment can, too. It’s beyond hypocrisy that
bureaucrats in Lansing expect regular peo-
ple to stretch their budgets while the state
continues a dangerous spending spree.
Lowering the income tax rate would
provide relief and get money away from
the government and back into middle class
wallets. These folks just want to get through
the month without spending more than
they earn.
Data compiled by the Mackinac Center
for Public Policy shows that states with
lower income tax rates – below 4 percent- are seeing jobs up 5.7 per-
cent above pre-COVID lev-
els. States with higher
income tax rates – above 4
percent – have seen jobs
increase by only 2 percent
since the pandemic.
Michigan is lagging even
farther behind as our job
numbers are still 0.6 percent
below pre-pandemic levels,
according to payroll jobs
data from the Bureau of
Labor Statistics.
The data speaks louder
than words. We need to cut the income tax.
Tax relief is the best way to reignite our
economy and get working families the
financial support they so desperately need.
Johnsen represents the 78th House Dis-
trict, which includes Lowell, Alto and
portions of Kent County; Ionia, Saranac,
Portland, Clarksville, Lake Odessa, and
portions of Ionia County; Woodland,
Hastings, Nashville and portions of Barry
County; and Sunfield, Mulliken and por-
tions of Eaton County.
Rep. Gina JohnsenConstruction on a $32 million, 135-unit housing development at the former Royal Coach site is slated to begin soon. The project
has been celebrated by city officials for its proximity to the downtown area and walkable amenities. (File rendering)
Dan King, Hastings community development director, said housing continues to be
a key focus area for both the city and prospective developers. (File photo)