At Monday’s work/study session of the Van Buren Township Board of Trustees and at Tuesday’s regular board meeting there was a lot of discussion over Supervisor Combs’ decision to axe Dr. Carl Johnson from the planning commission.
Actually, Combs just sent word to Dr. Johnson that he wasn’t being reappointed but he could have a seat on the Board of Zoning Appeals if he wanted. He didn’t.
Johnson is being replaced by Ronald K. Jackson, who didn’t attend either meeting so people could meet him. Jackson is an employee of MDOT where he is a transportation maintenance coordinator.
Supervisor Combs said Jackson came in and applied to be on the planning commission and she thought “new blood” was a good idea and dumped Johnson.
Johnson retired from Ford Motor Co. after a distinguished 41-year career. He earned his PhD in mechanical engineering when on Ford assignment in London. His list of patents is impressive.
If it weren’t for Johnson, VBT would have a co-generation plant polluting the neighborhood, John Delaney pointed out at Tuesday’s meeting. Johnson had the expertise to question information presented by co-gen promoters.
Combs can insist she’s just after “new blood,” but Johnson was appointed by her arch rival Paul White and Johnson’s wife Diane Madigan is a thorn in Combs’ side with all her FOIA requests and support of the fired fire fighter Tony Karver. That’s the “new blood” we think she’s after.
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25 Comments
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Well this isn’t going to help Mrs. Combs win over any votes. It further strengthens the argument that she is vindictive and holds grudges. When people say “She only ran for Supervisor because she doesn’t like Paul White” rings a little more true. These vindictive ways do not help the residents. My family and circle of friends that live in Van Buren are growing ever so frustrated with the current administration. We need someone who truly wants to do what is best for the township, not herself.
If Combs put in as much effort to run the township as she does her Facebook Criminal Case games, we would be in a better position. Yo Linda, put down the iphone and start paying attention to the issues happening in REAL LIFE.
Is her iphone paid by the township (us)?
The Supervisor is issued a twp. phone, with a limited amount of minutes per month. All use fo the phone is subject to the FOIA Act. However, voice is not available. Just the numbers called, and texts are available. Or, this is the way is was while I was in office. Paul D. White
I don’t blame Delaney for giving Combs a hard time for not re-appointing Dr. Carl Johnson. His hard work and contributions to the Planning Commission were numerous and very helpful. Budd, Combs and others gave White a hard time whenever he didn’t re-appoint one of Kings choices to a committee. This is a supervisors right to appoint their own choice and undo the appointments of the previous supervisor. The difference is that Mr. White was ridiculed and treated as though he was doing something terribly wrong. It all comes back full circle now that
Combs is being criticized for the very same thing that her & Budd scorned White for. White made some excellent appointments such as Mr. Wilson, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Boynton, etc.. It was his right to do so just as it is Combs right to do so but it is a shame because Mr. Johnson saved our township from a disaster
I reappointed some to committees that I King appointed, that were doing OK on their committee. I sat in and/or watched the meetings to determine who was actively involved and did research for the item discussed. I tried to appoint members who were responsible, interested citizens and try to vote in the vest interests of the majority of our residents.
Her decision was a personal one and not for the good of the township. She can never put the township first and I’m ashamed I voted for her. She is a big reason why I’m voting no for the public safety millage.
Genipher, I agree. She also stated at the LDFA Meeting, “If the millage passes, we can create a “Segregated Fund for the Visteon Millage”. Meaning putting the extra millage into the General Fund and then taking the predetermined amount from the General Fund and putting this money into the” Visteon Bond Segregated Fund” Using our valued PS Department to obtain money from the residents using misrepresentation of the 2.5mills increase. “Bait and Switch” or “Robbing Paul to pay Visteon”.
The Public Safety Department should be outraged. This is giving them a very bad name as they are lumped together in Combs’ decisions and comments. Why isn’t anyone on the board stopping her from further damaging their quest to increase our taxes? I can tell you that at our home owners meeting last week, the astounding majority will be voting NO due to the old bait and switch tactic and Combs trying to cover it up with more lies. Not many residents will be voting YES. Only those with close ties to the Public Safety Department.
Not until Combs comes up with a plan to cut spending and show some effort on her part also, I’ll never vote yes. You can ask me once you take a pay cut.
Thanks for that clarification Paul. We all know that a Supervisor has the freedom to select and remove committee members at their will, however most (like you and even King) had justifiable reasons to do so, more so the research put in to make these sound decisions. I am willing to bet that Combs was probably egged on to remove Dr. Johnson from his seat on the committee. She obviously didn’t due her diligence to research the great things he has done for our community. Another hit to our township and I’m frankly saddened at these vindictive moves. You should step down Combs, you’ve done a terrible job thus far.
I don’t want to be held accountable for their decisions regarding the Visteon deal gone bad. It’s not our fault and we shouldn’t be on the hook. Is there another way to save money? Limitt the blended paid employees to just one job. Or maybe the Supervisor could make a statement and take a voluntary pay cut.
We do need “New Blood” in the township. And let’s start with the Board. Combs has a tough time staying awake at meetings and I’ve got video. Eliminating a bachelors degree requirement for the Public Safety Director position was just a start but what do you expect from someone with a GED. Yes, we voted for her.
EQ Corp, the hazardous waste site at I-94 and Rawsonville that wants to increase radioactive fracking waste 10 x coming from PA, contributed $300 to Combs’ 2012 election campaign. Sharry Budd and Leon Wright also accepted $400 each from EQ. Is it any wonder they “go along”. In the near future, the township will need to deal with some very serious issues and lawsuits. We need educated minds on the Board, department directors and committee members to lead VBTs future. The vendettas have got to stop.
Diane, please post the Wayne County campaign numbers for the above mentioned, and post a link and how to access the campaign statement. Residents will bendfit for the knowledge.
https://www.wccampaignfinance.com/Public/ViewFiledReports
Reporting Year 2012
Committee Name: (Committee to Elect then and ( Linda Combs or other board member’s name
Click on Office Type (Township)
Office ( Supervisor, Treasurer, Clerk, Trustee)
District (Van Buren Township)
Thank You Diane for posting the link and pathway to access the campaign statements. Folks, bookmark the link and if you have any problems viewing the records, please post. I would like for you to check my statement too. Again, Thank You Diane.
2012 Campaign Contributions
Linda Combs Supervisor
$800 from EQ
$1000 from Attorneys Gasiorek, Morgan, Greco & McCauley PC
Total $4435
Sharry Budd Treasurer
$400 from EQ
$500 Attorneys GMGM
$1000 Scott and Wayne Jones (L&W)
Total $5740
Leon Wright Clerk
$400 from EQ
$500 Attorneys GMGM
Total $6025
Trustees finance their own campaigns
Many of are ill-informed of what amount of dollars and whom has contributed to campaigns for these “politicians”. I’m sure there are many more layers of dirt that can be peeled back from these crooked politicians. Combs is taking all the heat, but one should take a very hard look at Budd. Household name in this town, couldn’t possibly be tarnished, could it?
The governance of Van Buren Township depends on commissions and advisory committees to conduct the public business. The commissions are responsible to comply with all applicable statutory mandates, state, county and local laws.
The Township Supervisor is responsible for adopting a process for selection of the members, including necessary qualifications for appointments on our commissions and committees to present to the Board of Trustees for approval. I used education, length of residence in our township, work and community experience, along with personal attributes and commitment to their appointment, and diversity in our township. I was able to appoint outstanding residents to our commissions and committees, as mentioned by another poster, with politics aside. I think our current Supervisor is only using politics in her appointments. (Dr. Johnson’s wife is very active in VBT, filing many FOIA requests and writing letters about mismanagement in VBT). The Supervisor has other opportunities to appoint her choices without axe-ing a very highly qualified and responsible resident from a commission.
Dr. Carl Johnson was an outstanding member of the Planning Commission, with 6 years experience on the commission, with excellent attendance, missing only one meeting for a death in his family. Dr. Carl Johnson is highly educated with an MBA and a technical Ph.D in Engineering. Going out into the community, he investigated parcels of land, buildings and surrounding areas to have first-hand knowledge about items before commenting and approving on the Commission.
This is a sad day in VBT when citizens who are wholly qualified, active and committed to excellence in helping governance in VBT are removed from a Commission for political reasons.
In no way am I demeaning the appointment who replaced Dr. Johnson, but this appointment should have been to replace less effective members of the Commission.
Former Van Buren Township Supervisor
Paul D. White
Well Said Mr. White. I appreciate your opinion and wish that some of our elected officials would just take a minute, swallow their pride and do the right thing for once. I happen to agree with Combs, time for New Blood and that starts with the Supervisor position.
Who is Ronald Jackson? He has already missed two meetings? I’d say he sounds like he is off to a good start. Maybe combs axed the Dr. Because he us smarter than she is? Video tapes of her sleeping in meetings? That is alarming. Is that why she makes poor decisions, she sleeps through information. I looked at her Facebook page and it is plan as day she spends more time on her apps than staying awake for township business. Maybe she overworks her assistant.
That’s probably why her first assistant quit: she was planning on assisting not actually doing the supervisor’s job. But Combs absences and not being there first thing in the morning means her work was delegated to the office staff. Her new assistant is probably overwhelmed especially if there is a lack of guidance. I agree Mr. White did keep a lot of King’s appointments and didn’t use politics in his appointment process.
Wait a minute here, the Director of Public Safety does not have a college degree? And the Supervisor dropped out of high school?
I’m not shaming anyone for choosing to forego port high school education, but in a position with such GREAT responsibility and critical need for administrative education, I find it very NEGLIGENT that the Supervisor changed the job description for 1 person. Unbelievable.
Alan Hansen says Combs is taking a lot of heat and that we should also take a hard look at Budd. Combs is being guided and directed by Budd so the motives are political. This is the clique spoken about in previous editorial comments. Budd and the rest of the clique members are the cause of the stranglehold on the township. Things will change and improve slowly or not at all as long as she is in office.
It seems to me that Paul White’s campaign was more of a grass roots effort rather than accepting money from big corporations like EQ or attorneys that are employed by the township. I believe he did not want to be beholding to these companies or attorneys,
I was looking at the funds that were given to candidates for their campaigns and I have to question on the funds that weren’t filed. I wonder how EQ really gave to these crooks in office.