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Printer-Friendly ModeKochville Township recall passes with overwhelming voter support
August 25, 2006 —
Kochville Township politics continue to be shaken up in the wake of the rejection of the Cardinal Townhomes rezoning.
Supervisor Kenneth P. Bayne was recalled by a 513-325 margin, earning less than 39 percent of voter support, with Clerk George Schnepf being recalled by a slim 437-392 margin. Treasurer Crystal Kauer and Trustee Lynn Kauer, husband and wife, were recalled on the nearly identical margins of 482-352 and 481-351, respectively.
Back in February, township residents rejected a referendum on the expansion of the Cardinal Townhomes complex by a nearly three-to-one margin, which defied the unanimous yes vote from the Board to rezone the 13.98 acres on the southwest corner of Pierce and Davis roads from single-family residential to mixed-use development.
Residents, angry over what they viewed as an overly development-hungry Board opposed to the wishes of its citizens, recalled four-fifths of the Kochville Township Board on Aug. 8.
The four Board members who supported the rezoning could not get a majority of Kochville voters to overlook their votes.
The recall of Crystal Kauer was in doubt as voters simultaneously nominated her as the Republican candidate for the Nov. general election, since she was only appointed as Treasurer on an interim basis.
Ultimately, Michigan law mandates that while Kauer can run in the Nov. election as the Republican candidate, she cannot serve as treasurer currently.
Trustee Patricia Bourdow, the only Democrat on the Board and the only elected official to not face a recall, is the sole remaining Board member. Bourdow abstained from voting on the rezoning request due to a conflict of interest. For the interim, two additional Board members have been selected by the Saginaw County Election Commission - Edward Taylor and Martin Yancer. Together with Bourdow, Taylor and Yancer will appoint new members to fill out the remaining positions on the Board and conduct necessary business but will lack the authority to approve resolutions or make amendments to existing ordinances. The new members were appointed due to their relative neutrality concerning the recall election.
The four open positions, whose terms expire after the 2008 general election, will be on the Nov. 7 ballot, but only Crystal Kauer is eligible to run for election; the other three ousted Board members are ineligible to serve for one year.
The next Kochville Township meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 19 at 7:30 p.m. at the Township hall located at 5851 Mackinaw.