LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – The Senate Appropriations Committee vote to grant Gotion funding highlights how the communities that will be involved in the project are not as uniformly supportive as some officials say they are. 

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Mecosta County Commissioner Chairwoman Jerrilyn Strong spoke during the committee hearing ahead of the vote about how the board of commissioners unanimously affirms the support of the project. 

“You have heard from a small, but vocal group of opponents … all of whom think they speak for our county. They do not,” Strong said. “I have talked to people throughout Mecosta County and asked them if they have any objections to the Gotion plant, and I have not had one negative comment made to me.”

She also suggested that the prospect of bringing in more jobs to the area would be a great opportunity. 

“It will create 2,350 good jobs, better wages and benefits that will give families a chance for a better living in general, not only now, but for generations,” Strong said. “This will also lead to 5,000 plus additional jobs statewide in the supply chain and service professions. Additionally, the project will lead to significant opportunities for participation in cutting edge technology for our local schools, our intermediate school district and Ferris State University, which is in Big Rapids.” 

Green Charter Township supervisor Jim Chapman also expressed his excitement at 2,000 more possible job opportunities. 

“The Green Charter Township looks forward to breaking ground on the largest single business investment in Mecosta County history, with the new Gotion battery plant bringing at least 2,300 good-paying jobs to the area after the Michigan Legislature gave final approval for the project today, and that the companies $2.36 billion investment is the largest investment ever in the Big Rapids area and will create over $11.5 billion in new personal income as a result,” Chapman said according to Big Rapids Pioneer News. 

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However, at the Senate Appropriations Committee meeting on Thursday, some community township board members from several townships disagreed that the project would be uniformly good. 

“I am greatly disappointed that our elected representatives are serving the demands of our Governor over the requests of our citizens,” Big Rapids Township Clerk Hannah Saez continued, “Our community is now united in ways they would have never been before, they do not want this.” 

She also directly refuted Strong’s claim that the opponents of the project were a “small group” as indicated by the majority of survey responses stating opposition to the project. 

“Over 50% have responded opposed with drastic concerns, this is not a small group of protestors as our dishonest local representation states, they are also being currently recalled,” Saez said, “We have numerous meetings and the people have spoken, they do not want this.”

Another speaker during the committee hearing, Barton Township Supervisor Kyle Luce opposed the idea that the only way to provide good paying jobs was through industrializing the area. 

“Our board members are actually quite concerned, it’s a farm town,” Luce said, “It’s 95% Agricultural (AG) Land, it’s beautiful and pristine and that’s the way it needs to stay.  I heard the Chair say today that we need to bring economic development to all these rural areas, but some of these rural areas are rural because they want to be rural; I lived there, my great-great-grandfather came out there to get away from the industry, get away from the populace, to kind of do their own thing in the corner.” 

Another member of the Green Township, Marjorie Steele testified in opposition to the project. 

“Your votes today are lines drawn in the sand. Every one of you here today who votes in favor of this project, we as a community will consider a black mold that needs to be expunged from our democratic republic,” Steele said. 

Despite mixed public support, the committee voted by a narrow margin, 10 to 9 approving a funding transfer to the Gotion project.