Recall questions goes to Bearinger Township voters

by Peter Jakey, Managing Editor

The township with the smallest population has one of the biggest questions in the county on the ticket. Voters will be going to the polls Tuesday in Bearinger Township to decide if supervisor Karen Silver should be recalled from office or not. Sponsors collected enough signatures last spring to bring the decision before voters. Kay Dowker, a township trustee, filed the original paperwork against her colleague. Some of the allegations appear on the ballot in the 200 words allotted by Michigan election law.

Si

lver gets her say as well. She refutes the claims with her allotted space. Both Dowker and Silver were contacted by the Advance to provide a statement. Dowker was asked why Silver should be recalled, while Silver was asked why she should keep her job.

Their answers follow: Silver: ?As supervisor, I have conducted township business ethically and legally. No legal action exists to document otherwise. The recall accusations are politically motivated. All township decisions are passed by a majority board vote. This democratic process should not be jeopardized by attacking a single board member?s vote.?

Dowker: ?Karen Silver seems to have forgotten that the Bearinger Township board members are servants of the people. Karen Silver?s private telephone polling of board members did include inappropriate discussions on public issues. The polling did ask for decisions to spend taxpayer dollars without public discussion. ?On three occasions there were motions made to let the citizens decide by their vote on important issues. Karen?s tie breaking vote denied the voters this right. ?I initiated the recall for two reasons, I do not approve of how Karen conducts public business in private and I believe the voters should decide major substantive issues.?