OLIVE TWP., MI (WHTC-AM/FM, Feb. 25, 2024) – Overshadowed by the ongoing drama over Administrative Health Officer Adeline Hambley and Administrator John Gibbs at the Ottawa County Administration Building in West Olive is the fact that property owners in the county will have to fork over more money in taxes.
County Equalization Director Brian Busscher told the county board earlier this month that preliminary numbers indicate a second straight year in which property taxes will rise five percent, the highest allowed by state law, due primarily because of the inflation rate increasing by 5.1 percent over the past 12 months. Third District Commissioner Doug Zylstra, a Holland Democrat, understands this reasoning.
Audio PlayerLast year was the first time Ottawa County property taxes had such a five-percent increase since the law was passed in 1994.
Speaking of the ongoing personnel drama at the Fillmore Street Complex: The Ottawa County Board will resume a special business meeting on Monday at 9 AM, picking up where it left off last Thursday when the panel approved an administrative leave for Gibbs while they work out a settlement for him to resign after nearly 14 months in office. This comes as efforts to draw up a spending plan for Fiscal 2025 are underway.
Audio PlayerThis meeting may also deal with efforts to reach a settlement with Hambley over her leaving her office, something that the board has been after since a new majority assumed their seats on January 3, 2023, and something that she has filed suit against the board and the county to either prevent or to garner proper compensation.
Republicans are bringing chaos and high taxes to Ottawa County. It’s sad and hilarious to watch them fight among themselves . It’d be great for whtc.com to tally up all the legal fees being grifted from the County, and compare that to the cost of funding the food bank.
How can they justify a second increase in property taxes due primarily to “inflation”. What about numbers on the ridiculous and unnecessary escalation of legal actions, fees related to cases that have arisen out of this boards need to enforce personal vendettas, buying out contracts of fired employees so they can be replaced with someone else who then needed an additional employee to help do his work. What are they spending all of our money on? It’s certainly not the food bank. Didn’t they also slash the budget of the health department? I have zero faith that this board has an ability to lead or govern based on what I’ve seen in this first year! I’m not buying their explanation.