Schoolcraft Township Board Turmoil

Two township board members in Schoolcraft Township have stepped down recently, and Lake Linden resident Sam Buschell believes he may be the reason why.

He says he found a major error in the township’s equalization report — a commercial property was incorrectly listed as a residential property in the report.

Buschell says it was a very expensive property, and because that one was very pricey while the homes are by and large inexpensive, the error raised taxes for everyone else.

The resignations came from the township supervisor in April and, more recently, the township clerk.

Buschell has been attending board meetings demanding that the township correct the perceived errors in property tax assessment for area residents.

The new township supervisor, Joel Keranen, says the tax record is in the process of being updated.

He says an assessment firm is doing that right now, and he says if the township hadn’t done that, the state would have taken over the township rolls as it’s done elsewhere.

Keranan stepped into the supervisor’s role from a township trustee position, and they’re looking for a new clerk.

But he says the board members’ resignations have little to do with one resident’s accusations.

Keranen says the supervisor resigned because of health reasons, and since the township clerk had about 20 years on the job, he looked at the clerk’s departure more as a retirement than anything else.

Buschell would like to see an official investigation into the tax issue and charges of violating the Open Meetings Act, but so far he says his complaints have fallen on deaf ears.

Elections are less than six months away, so there’s undoubtedly more to come.

Posted by: Mike Hoey