WKTV Staff
ken@wktv.org
The election aftermath — from the passage of recreational marijuana, to more voting day volunteers needed, to the partisan politics on the Kent County Board Of Commissioners — were some of the discussion items of a wide-ranging inter-governmental leaders meeting Monday, Nov. 11, at the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce’s Government Matters Committee’s monthly forum at Kentwood City Hall.
Newly re-elected county commissioner Harold Voorhees, who represents the City of Wyoming as District 8 commissioner, pointed out with the election results the partisan split on the commission went from 13 Republicans and six Democrats to now a 11-8 split.
“It does have its influence, that’s why we go through the election process,” Voorhees said to WKTV. “But on the board it has been very congenial, working together. We are hopeful it will stay that way.”
Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley also made a call for citizens to work with the city as election-day volunteers. The mayor pointed out that the high number of absentee battles — expected to be even higher in two years due to a voter approved ballot measure which allows same-day registration and no-reason absentee ballot requests — as well as other reasons, will create the need for more volunteers in the city. For more information contact the City of Kentwood city clerk’s office.
The meeting is rebroadcast on WKTV’s channels and on-demand website (wktvondemand.com). This month’s meeting is available here.
The Government Matters meeting brings together representatives from the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood, Kent County commissioners, local Michigan state senators and representatives, as well as often representatives of Michigan’s U.S. senators and U.S. congressman who represent the Wyoming and Kentwood area.
The next meeting will be Dec. 10 will be at the Kentwood City Hall, 4900 Breton Road SE, from 8 a.m. to 9:15 a.m.
The intergovernmental discussion hosted by the chamber focuses on issues that effect residents and businesses in the two cities.
For more information about the chamber and Government Matters visit southkent.org .
https://www.southkent.org/government-matters/
The meetings are on the second Monday of each month, starting at 8 a.m. WKTV Journal will produce a highlight story after the meeting. But WKTV also offers replays of the Monday meetings on the following Wednesday at 7 p.m. on Comcast Cable Government Channel 26.
