WHEN CITY HALL STOPS LISTENING, THE PEOPLE CAN CHANGE WHO SITS IN THE CHAIRS

Michigan voters sent a powerful message: elected officials work for the people — not the other way around.

By Steve Lesperance | SteveLesperance.com Newsroom

There is an important lesson coming out of a small Michigan community that every voter should pay attention to.

On November 7, 2023, voters in Green Charter Township, Michigan, went to the polls and recalled five remaining members of their township board after months of controversy surrounding a proposed multibillion-dollar Gotion electric-vehicle battery plant.

Two other board members had already resigned.

When the votes were counted, every incumbent on the recall ballot was defeated.

Local reporting showed that much of the public anger centred on allegations of poor transparency, inadequate public consultation and a feeling among many residents that their elected representatives were no longer listening to them.

In the supervisor's race alone, challenger Jason Kruse received 740 votes compared with 498 for incumbent Jim Chapman.

Whether someone supported or opposed the Gotion project is not the most important lesson here.

The lesson is that voters still have the power to replace governments that stop representing them.

PUBLIC OFFICE IS NOT A PERSONAL OPPORTUNITY

We need to start asking a much more important question when someone puts their name on an election ballot:

Why are you running?

Are you running because you want a title?

A paycheque?

Political connections?

A stepping stone to another position?

Influence?

Status?

Or are you running because you genuinely believe that you have a responsibility to the people who elected you?

There is nothing wrong with elected officials being paid for their work.

But there is something very wrong when public office becomes about protecting the institution, protecting insiders, advancing careers or serving interests ahead of the taxpayers who put those officials there.

I believe the order must always be:

THE PEOPLE FIRST.

Not City Hall first.

Not political careers first.

Not corporations first.

Not special interests first.

The people.

THE PEOPLE HAVE TO COME BEFORE THE DEAL

The Michigan dispute is also a warning about how consequential municipal decisions can become.

The original township entered into agreements supporting the Gotion project. After voters replaced the board, the newly elected officials began reversing some of that support.

That eventually led to litigation.

In a 2026 decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals described how voters had recalled the remaining township board members and how the newly elected board then moved against resolutions supporting the development agreement.

The project was ultimately deemed no longer viable, but the consequences did not simply disappear.

Gotion has since pursued damages against Green Charter Township, and as of August 2026 the parties are involved in settlement discussions over ongoing litigation involving claims exceeding $23 million.

That should concern taxpayers everywhere.

It demonstrates why elected officials must ask the difficult questions before agreements are signed and taxpayers become exposed.

What are we agreeing to?

What will it cost?

What happens if circumstances change?

What commitments are being made behind the scenes?

What liabilities could taxpayers inherit?

Who benefits?

Who carries the risk?

And most importantly:

Have the people been properly informed?

WE NEED THE RIGHT CANDIDATES — NOT JUST MORE CANDIDATES

Municipal elections cannot simply be popularity contests.

A familiar name does not automatically make someone the right candidate.

A polished campaign sign does not make someone accountable.

Political experience does not automatically mean good leadership.

And saying, “I care about the community,” means very little unless a candidate is willing to demonstrate it through their actions.

We need candidates prepared to:

• question major expenditures;
• demand transparency before major agreements are approved;
• disclose conflicts;
• listen when residents raise legitimate concerns;
• protect taxpayers from unnecessary liabilities;
• challenge administration when necessary;
• explain their decisions publicly;
• admit when something is wrong;
• and remember who they actually work for.

A Councillor's employer is not City Hall.

The people are the employer.

THIS MATTERS IN KAWARTHA LAKES

That is one of the reasons I decided to run for Councillor in Ward 8.

When I announced my candidacy, I said Ward 8 deserves a Councillor who will listen, take action, ask the hard questions and work for the people.

I meant it.

Kawartha Lakes taxpayers should be asking candidates serious questions before October's election.

Will you question City Hall — or simply go along with it?

Will you investigate where taxpayer money is going?

Will you demand value for every tax dollar?

Will you insist on transparency before major commitments are made?

Will you tell residents the truth even when that truth is uncomfortable?

And perhaps most importantly:

WHO WILL YOU WORK FOR?

Because once an election is over, residents should never have to fight simply to make their representatives listen.

Green Charter Township demonstrated something politicians everywhere should remember.

Elected officials may occupy the chairs.

But those chairs belong to the people.

And when government forgets that, voters have the final word.

Sources & Further Reading

Bridge Michigan: Five Green Charter Township officials recalled following controversy surrounding the Gotion project and complaints about transparency and local input. Read the Bridge Michigan report

Big Rapids Pioneer: Local election results showing Jason Kruse defeating incumbent Supervisor Jim Chapman 740–498 and other incumbents losing their races. Read the election coverage

Associated Press: Contemporary reporting on the 2023 recall election and the Gotion controversy.

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit: Gotion, Inc. v. Green Charter Township, February 25, 2026, outlining the development agreement, recall election and subsequent dispute. Read the court decision

Reuters: July 2026 reporting on Gotion's damages action against Green Charter Township following the collapse of the project.

Editor's note: Reports reviewed for this article document disputes concerning transparency, community consultation and the Gotion development. They do not establish that the recalled Michigan officials personally profited from the project. The discussion of personal gain above addresses the broader standard I believe voters should apply to every candidate seeking public office.