Petition signers call for chairman's resignation

Jul. 28—TRAVERSE CITY — Wednesday's special meeting on county millage renewals quickly turned into something else when several people demanded Chairman Rob Hentschel's immediate resignation from Grand Traverse County Board of Commissioners.

Rev. Wendy von Courter, a minister and human rights activist, spoke during public comment, saying 450 county residents signed a petition calling for Hentschel to resign — or for the board to demand he resign.

The petition also asks for an independent investigation of an affidavit for a personal protection order filed by Andrea Hentschel, Hentschel's ex-wife, in 2020.

Her request for a PPO was denied by former probate Judge Melanie Stanton, over whom the board held "budgetary and positional power," the petition claims.

"As a member of this community, I am shocked and appalled that her PPO wasn't approved," said Erica Moon Mohr, who serves on the Traverse City Area Public Schools board.

The outrage expressed at the meeting was prompted by an article that appeared in The Beacon newsletter on the Grand Traverse Democrats' website. The article details about two years of what it calls the "incompetence" of the board under Hentschel's leadership.

Hentschel, when contacted, said the publishing of the article by the Democrats and the calls for his resignation are "dirty politics."

"I think it's disgusting that a news agency would write about this," Hentschel said. "This hurts everybody, my ex-wife, my children ... They're digging up dirt to hurt people."

The newsletter included a copy of the PPO affidavit that was denied by the judge, a 911 call and a police report regarding an incident in which Andrea Hentschel said her tire fell off while she was driving and she found five lug nuts on the ground.

Hentschel read from a written statement at the beginning of Wednesday's meeting, before the public comment.

In his statement, he said that the list published in The Beacon were false allegations against him from two years ago when he and his ex-wife were going through a custody battle. The Democrats' inclusion of them in the newsletter on their website is negative campaigning, he said.

Hentschel is running to represent District 5 and faces former county commissioner Carol Crawford in Tuesday's primary election. The winner of that race will face Democrat Bruce Moore in the November election.

Both Crawford and Moore filed residency challenges against Hentschel with the East Bay Township clerk, saying that Hentschel does not live in District 5, where he is registered to vote. Hentschel purchased a home in District 5, but still owns his home in District 7, which he represents now.

Redistricting would have pitted Hentschel against current Commissioner Darryl V. Nelson in District 6.

After the public comment portion of the meeting, commissioners proceeded to address the business that was the reason for their special meeting:

Four property tax millage renewals are headed for the November ballot after approval by the county board. The taxes, if approved by voters, will fund the Commission on Aging, Senior Center operations, Animal Control and Veterans Affairs.

The VA millage was approved for six years at a rate of up to 0.1135 — which is the original amount approved by voters in 2016, minus rollbacks from the Headlee Amendment, a state law that says property taxes cannot increase by more than the rate of inflation.

County administrators had recommended the millage be set at 0.08 mills as that is the amount that has been collected for the last few years by the VA because the revenue collected from the higher amount wasn't needed, as previously reported.

Hentschel had objected in previous meetings to the tax being approved at the higher rate, saying that taxes should be kept as low as possible and, if the money is not needed, it shouldn't be collected.

On Wednesday he voted in favor of the higher rate, saying inflation could affect the agency's expenses.

The VA has a 2023 operating budget of $540,000 and a fund balance of $544,000. The millage, in its first year, would generate $695,553, minus what would be taken out by special taxing districts.

Commissioner Ron Clous, who is not seeking re-election, voted against it, saying the VA should be supported by the general fund.

"I won't be supporting the millage, but I do wholeheartedly support the veterans — and this county will not let them down," Clous said before the board action.

Clous voted against the Animal Control millage, which he also said he feels should come out of the general fund. The department was funded by county coffers after it expired since a special off-year election would have cost about $197,000, which is about what the millage brings in for one year.

The six-year, 0.037-mill tax request was approved 6-1 Wednesday.

Requests for a 10-year, 0.0945-mill Commission on Aging tax and a 10-year, 0.0945-mill Senior Center tax were both unanimously approved.