MECOSTA COUNTY, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – In a dramatic start to 2025, the Mecosta County Board of Commissioners wasted no time shaking things up. At their inaugural meeting on Thursday, Jan. 2, the newly elected board voted 5-2 to rescind support for the Gotion, Inc. electric vehicle battery facility in Green Charter Township. The decision overturned the February 16, 2023 Resolution 2023-04, which had previously backed the project.

Chris Zimmerman, the newly elected board chair, made it clear that the controversial Gotion facility was a key motivator for his campaign. “When 92 percent of Mecosta residents oppose the Chinese battery plant in our community, the board of commissioners should have listened. When our congressman says there are security concerns with China and our community, the board of commissioners should have reversed their approval of the project,” Zimmerman said at the board meeting, emphasizing the newly elected commissioners’ alignment with public sentiment.

The CCP connection and public outcry.

MORE NEWS: 2025 Black Lake Sturgeon Season Set for Feb. 1

The new resolution cites “new information and developments” regarding Gotion’s ownership ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and broader concerns over foreign investment as well as environmental impacts to the community.

The new resolution to rescind the older resolution also includes language saying that the county believes there needs to be “greater scrutiny and caution” and the new developments they learned about “necessitate a reassessment of the county’s position to ensure that the decisions made are in the best interests of the community’s security, environment, prosperity and values.”

Local outrage over the Gotion project has been fueled by many things since it was announced including perceived national security risks, echoed by Michigan’s U.S. Congressman and other groups. Many Green Charter Township residents have been opposed to the project from the outset, participating in protest rallies and warning the community about the negative implications of the project.

New leadership, new direction.

With opposition to the Gotion project being fierce, residents have rallied against what they have seen as an intrusion of foreign influence into their community – resulting in many of the Green Charter Township trustees who approved the project getting the boot and being replaced by new ones.

In November 2023, following a recall election that replaced the township’s board with members opposed to the Gotion project, the new Green Charter Township trustees rescinded the water extension resolution and a prior resolution of support for the project. In response, Gotion filed a federal lawsuit in March 2024, alleging breach of contract and seeking a preliminary injunction to compel the township to adhere to the original development agreement.

A changing of the guard also happened in Mecosta County at the end of this year. The newly elected commissioners in Mecosta County – Chris Zimmerman, Jeff Jackson, Greg Adams, and Gary Lambrix– ran on a shared platform of rejecting the Gotion project, and because of that, swept into office in November 2024.

Promises of healing and accountability.

Zimmerman hopes the decision will “heal the divide in our community” and restore faith in local government. “As long as the four of us are on the commission, we will no longer ignore the will of the people,” he declared, vowing to prioritize transparency and efficiency in the board’s decisions.

MORE NEWS: Human Remains Found Near Rothbury Linked to Man Missing Since 2018

The resolution formally withdraws all endorsements, commitments, and assistance for Gotion’s ‘Project Elephant’ previously extended, signaling a major setback for the proposed facility and what some are predicting will end up stopping the project permanently.

However, Chuck Thelan, Gotion’s North American Manufacturing Vice President, said in a statement that although Gotion has paused all public statements, he said, “However, this will not affect its ongoing commitment to advancing the project. We look forward to resuming communications and sharing more exciting updates once these matters are appropriately resolved.”

Praise from the Michigan-China Economic and Security Review Group.

Former Ambassador Joseph Cella of the Michigan-China Economic and Security Review Group said to us in a statement, “I congratulate and thank the Mecosta County Board of Commissioners for rescinding the previous board’s resolution of support for the corrupted ‘deal’ with PRC-based and CCP-tied Gotion led by Governor Gretchen Whitmer. The courageous and hard work of patriotic citizens in Mecosta County who have had the hardest job in fighting this corrupted ‘deal’ is inspiring and is a model for others in the United States to follow on how to fight and win in the toughest of battles, particularly when it comes to countering the China threat.”

Cella continued, “There are two lessons to be learned here. First, government and business elites must never put money over country. Second, government and business elites should realize that if the consent of the governed is violated, patriotic citizens can mobilize, inform and educate fellow citizens, fight and win in the grassroots to restore the consent of the governed.”

Steele calls out county officials for ignoring environmental concerns and public opposition.

Marjorie Steele, founder of EDRA (Economic Development Responsibility Alliance of Michigan), said in a statement to us about this latest development, “We’re extremely pleased to see Mecosta County’s board of commissioners finally acknowledge the public opposition to this project – with the exception of Bill Routley and Chris Jane, who continue act against the will of the people.”

However, Steele goes on to say that it is “deeply disappointing that the community’s many and serious environmental concerns were left out of conversation, in both the resolution itself and in Chris Zimmerman’s comments.”

Steele added, “Both Michigan Republicans and Democrats have been aggressively suppressing environmental concerns over Gotion and other ‘high tech’ projects, and the glaring omission of local residents’ environmental concerns over Gotion in this discussion is a strong indicator that county officials such as Mr. Zimmerman continue to act under the influence of partisan figures – not Mecosta County residents.”

Regardless of a possible tension between partisan politics and local advocacy, this is a critical juncture for Mecosta County. As residents demand accountability and environmental safeguards, the county’s actions signal a shift away from state-driven narratives toward a more community-centered approach instead of leaders who prioritize state and global ambitions.

Other avenues pursued to block Gotion.

On other fronts dealing with the Gotion issue, last year, Republicans in the state House tried to prevent state subsidies for companies linked to American adversaries. However, their efforts were blocked by the Democratic-controlled Michigan legislature.

On the federal level, in December of 2024, Republican U.S. senators introduced a proposal to block Gotion and other CCP-affiliated companies from receiving federal tax credits to produce EV battery components. The Senate bill mirrors legislation introduced by Michigan Rep. John Moolenaar and Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) in the House.

Additionally, an October report on the CCP’s influence operations mentioned Gotion 22 times, highlighting concerns about the CCP’s penetration in 25 federal sectors. The report revealed that most agencies’ responses to the CCP’s efforts are either insufficient or ineffective.

It remains unclear whether the Mecosta County decision signals the permanent end of the Gotion project, but one thing is certain: Gotion’s plan for a battery plant in Mecosta County’s Green Charter Township has hit yet another significant roadblock.