UPDATE 1/21/25 7:00 p.m.
CADILLAC — The City of Cadillac canceled two city council meetings Tuesday night due to death threats against city leaders and their families that were deemed credible.
The cancellations came just hours before the meetings were set to happen. Several issues affecting the city were on the agenda, including the ongoing PFAS concern and the city manager’s annual evaluation.
City manager Marcus Peccia would not go into detail about the threats or intended targets.
“This is the first time in my entire career, not just here in Cadillac but in my entire career, that I have experienced anything quite like this. It’s very upsetting,” said Peccia.
Peccia said they are taking it very seriously, considering it a direct attack on the safety and well-being of those who serve the community.
“We’re certainly very concerned. The threats, we believe, were fueled essentially, in whole or in part, by dangerous and frankly hateful online rhetoric that’s been flying around,” said Peccia.
Peccia said a lot of the hate revolves around misleading or even false information online.
“There’s a lot of rhetoric and a lot of dialogue happening online, based in part with misinformation about a whole assortment of topics, whether it’s my tenure here with the community, political issues that people have with our council – just a combination of things,” said Peccia.
One of the items on the agenda was a proposed ordinance that would require homes within 200 feet of city water to connect to it to help protect residents from PFAS that were discovered in private wells in the area. It’s a proposal that has already been criticized online.
“This ordinance hasn’t even been presented yet. We’re not even at a point where what’s being presented is something in a form where we’re actually looking at setting a public hearing,” said Peccia.
Peccia said their next regularly scheduled meeting is in two weeks, and he hopes things will be back to normal – although he acknowledged that they may have to increase security.
“I can tell you that we will likely have an increased police presence,” said Peccia.
He said right now it’s too soon to know what the next best steps are to protect city leaders and the public.
“We’re trying to just get our heads wrapped around everything and understand what we have the ability to modify or to change. Ultimately everyone’s safety is the number one priority, whether it’s members of council or staff or, frankly, members of the public that come to participate,” said Peccia.
Cadillac Police are investigating but declined our request for an interview.
1/21/25 4:15 p.m.
CADILLAC — The Cadillac City Council meetings scheduled for 4 and 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 21 have been canceled “due to what are believed to be credible death threats made against elected and appointed officials and their families,” the city said in a statement.
According to the statement, “These threats, fueled in whole or in part by dangerous and hateful online rhetoric from individuals, are a direct attack on the safety and well-being of those who serve our community.”
It went on to say, “The city takes these threats with the upmost seriousness. Such behavior is unacceptable, will not be tolerated and will be pursued to the fullest extent of the law. The safety and security of our public servants, their families and community members remains our highest priority. Thoughts of violence have no place in the city, and we urge everyone to engage in thoughtful, respectful and constructive dialogue as we work together to address the issues that matter to our community.”
9&10 News will have more on this story as it develops.
