Antrim County votes to replace Jarris Rubingh on Board of Health
ANTRIM COUNTY — Antrim County will have new representation on the Health Department of Northwest Michigan’s Board of Health in 2024.
Following their meeting on Jan. 18, Commissioner Jarris Rubingh, who has served on the Board of Health for two years, was replaced as one of the county's two representatives on that board. He was most recently the board's vice chair.
Dawn LaVanway is the other Antrim County commissioner serving on the Board of Health.
At the start of each year, the commissioners decide board and committee appointments for the next year. Rubingh’s removal was part of the round of appointments recommended by chairman Terry VanAlstine, who proposed himself to serve on the board instead.
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Although he did not respond immediately for a request for comment, Rubingh expressed disappointment in his removal from the board during the meeting on Thursday.
“I see you have taken me off the health department,” Rubingh said to VanAlstine. “Is there a reason that you are doing exactly what the Democrats want you to do?”
VanAlstine responded that he believes the position is non-political, "and I don’t believe that you are looking at the will of the county. You were looking at the will of the county less than you were a political statement on what you wanted to do to take away from the health department.”
Many of Rubingh's actions on the Board of Health were based on what has been described as too much government overreach, stemming from an ideological tug-of-war that first began during the COVID-19 pandemic in response to a school mask mandate issued by then-health officer Lisa Peacock.
The appointment recommendations were approved 4-1 by the Antrim County Board of Commissioners, with Rubingh voting no.
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Rubingh said he felt the health department has improved during his time on the board, stating to VanAlstine, “I would say that no matter which commissioner you have on different boards, we all have different opinions and constituents and I guess it is your prerogative as chairman. But I do think that the health department is in a far better state today than when I was put on.”
VanAlstine declined to expand on why he chose not to re-appoint Rubingh to the Board of Health but said he wanted to “let the people at the health department do their job."
"That's the whole point," he said. “There was a lot of drama that didn’t need to be there."
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The Northwest Michigan Health Department Board of Health is made up of two county commissioners from each of the counties in its region, including Antrim, Charlevoix, Emmet and Otsego counties.
Scott Hankins, chairman of the Board of Health and Charlevoix County Commissioner, said the board appointments are up to individual counties.
"Each of the four counties has the opportunity to select their own representation on the Board of Health," he said. "We will work with any commissioner from any of the four counties that have been appointed to represent their people.”
VanAlstine will start in his capacity on the Board of Health in February.
— Contact reporter Annie Doyle at (231) 675-0099 or adoyle@charlevoixcourier.com
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Antrim County votes to replace Jarris Rubingh on Board of Health
