CADILLAC — The Cadillac City Council came under fire Monday night, after amending the city council agenda on the spot, causing some in attendance to call for resignations.
The council is accused of allowing appointed members to serve longer than they are legally allowed.
Some said that if the city council took up any actions it would be violating the charter.
Action was indeed taken, approving the meeting minutes from the previous month, causing fireworks in the audience.
Art Stevens said he had high hopes when he saw the agenda.
He said the lack of actionable items made him think the city council was listening.
“Usually, they would take a motion to approve the agenda,” Stevens said. “They would also approve the minutes from the previous meeting. Those two things are not on there. And then none of the action items. There are no action items that require a vote as well.”
Stevens, a former council member himself, said three of the current members of the city council are not legally allowed on the council and that their terms ended on Election Day.
“When you’re sworn in, you’re only sworn in for the length of that appointment,” Stevens said. “So, in this case, until Nov. 4, right now we don’t have anybody then that could serve from November 4th until the end of the year.”
Stevens said because special elections were not held to keep those seats until the end of the year, they don’t have the three members needed for a quorum, meaning not enough to conduct official business.
City attorney Michael Homier disagreed.
“Those people serving on the city council continue to serve until their successor is elected and qualified,” Homier said. “Well, there was nobody who sought a partial-term election. Nobody’s submitted a nominating petition. Nobody was elected to a partial term, which means they continue to serve.”
On the advice of Homier, the council amended the agenda, voting on the meeting minutes from the month before and the amended agenda.
City Manager Marcus Peccia acknowledged they would not be tackling anything big until the new board members are sworn in in January.
“We goofed. It was a mistake. It was a mistake that nobody caught. And we just became aware of it, essentially, a couple of weeks ago. We’re moving forward with having essentially informational-type meetings. We’re not really tackling any major business items, or anything of that sort, is going to be scheduled for after the new year.
Bill Barnett, another outspoken voice about the city’s handling of the charter, called for the resignation of every member serving on the board.
“This is a shocking development,” Barnett said. “The city changed its agenda when they showed up here. There should have been two members sitting on the city council. Three were not sworn in. They just violated their charter, and they don’t seem to care.”