Kuyers seeks to reclaim his seat on the Ottawa County Board in November

OTTAWA COUNTY — Phil Kuyers isn't done serving the public.

The former longtime Ottawa County commissioner is running again for the District 9 seat, which he represented for more than two decades before losing to Ottawa Impact Republican Roger Belknap in 2022.

The far-right fundamentalist group, which formed in 2021 over frustrations with county and state COVID-19 mitigation measures, currently has a seven-seat controlling majority on the 11-member board and made a series of controversial decisions in 2023 that led to four ongoing lawsuits and a brief investigation from the state attorney general's office.

Belknap hasn't indicated if he plans to seek a second term, but stakes for county elections are higher than ever across Michigan, after a change in state law lengthens terms from two years to four.

Kuyers said he doesn't like what he's seen under OI's leadership.

"When people used to talk about Ottawa County, it was about the beaches, Grand Haven, Holland — great places to vacation, right? We have the best place to live, the healthiest place to live. Now, the national news is talking about how stupid the commissioners are? That's not who we are."

More: A year after the Ottawa Impact controversy, here's what the commissioners accomplished

Kuyers was first elected to the commission in 2000 and served as chair for three years. Born and raised in Robinson Township, the 65-year-old co-owned and operated a dairy farm for more than 40 years and co-owned Pigeon Creek Golf Course for 20 years.

District 9 represents Grand Haven Township, Robinson Township and a small portion of Spring Lake Township.

Despite not being on the current board, Kuyers has been referenced in litigation Health Officer Adeline Hambley filed early last year, claiming several Ottawa Impact commissioners have repeatedly interfered with her ability to do her job.

Attorneys for the board claim Hambley was never properly appointed in December 2022, because Kuyers’ verbal motion prior to the vote didn't match the written resolution — which they claim required a second vote. Kuyers appeared before commissioners during public comment in March affirming there was never supposed to be another vote.

Kuyers said it's been difficult to watch the county's government stability becoming more threatened.

"They've turned our county upside down," he said. "Before, it was everybody knitted together. They'll do their best to bankrupt the county if they keep doing what they're doing. They don't know politics. They don't know government at all."

If elected, Kuyers first wants to focus on employees.

"No. 1 is making sure our employees have what they need," he said. "We need to work with HR to make sure people working for the county are secure about their jobs, and make sure they know we appreciate the jobs they do."

Next would be shoring up financials.

"We've got to keep this good thing we have going and focus on keeping our AAA bond rating."

The county’s lawyers previously told the board an alleged $4 million payout to Hambley could cause its insurer to drop the county’s coverage, according to several commissioners who spoke on the condition of anonymity to The Sentinel and The Washington Post. The county, in turn, could lose its AAA bond rating, driving up costs incurred to borrow money.

It's imperative the county not lose that rating, Kuyers said, as other public entities leverage the county's bond rating to finance bonds. Any downgrade could lead to millions in additional interest costs.

"If you have good finances, then you have a good bond rating. ... The schools work off us, the townships work off us, the road commission — everybody works off the county bond rating."

Kuyers said a string of controversial hires by the board — including the current administrator, deputy administrator and administrative executive aide — have cost hundreds of thousands, choices that'll take time and money to correct.

"I'm going to spend some money on people we don't want back," he said. "It might cost the county a little bit, but it's going to save them a lot. When we win back the majority, I'm going to work so hard to get the ship righted, because it's going to take a lot of people to get back."

Kuyers also pointed to a surge in legal costs for the county, saying current corporation counsel Kallman Legal Group isn't providing adequate service in the midst of numerous lawsuits.

"I want to put out bids for a new law firm the minute we're sworn in," he said. "I want to bring the county back to a good financial state — not blowing money."

Part of that will mean being open to grants — something Ottawa Impact has generally rejected, mostly over political differences with the current Democrat-controlled state legislature and governor's office.

"That's really stupid for our people, because it's your tax dollars no matter what. It's your money coming back to us."

Kuyers, a Republican himself, is married to wife Pamela; the couple share four children ranging in age from 31 to 37 and have many grandchildren.

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Dates to know

• Tuesday, April 23: Filing deadline for Ottawa County candidates

• Tuesday, May 7: Special recall election for District Two

• Tuesday, Feb. 27: Michigan presidential primary

• Tuesday, Aug. 6: Michigan primary election

• Tuesday, Nov. 5: Michigan general election

— Sarah Leach is executive editor of The Holland Sentinel. Contact her at sarah.leach@hollandsentinel.com. Follow her on Twitter @SentinelLeach.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Kuyers seeks to reclaim his seat on the Ottawa County Board in November