COLDWATER, MI (WRTV) – The Branch County Election Commission unanimously rejected a recall petition Thursday targeting Coldwater Fourth Ward Councilman Scott Houtz during a clarity hearing at the Branch County Courthouse.
The handwritten petition, submitted by city resident Kyle Wallace, cited Houtz’s March 9 vote to introduce Ordinance No. 885, a controversial property maintenance standard update that was later tabled following public backlash.
However, the commission ruled that the petition wording failed to meet Michigan’s legal standards for clarity by deeming the language too vague for voters because it did not explain the actual content of the ordinance or specify the alleged misconduct in question.
Mayor Tom Kramer read a written statement from councilman Houtz who was unable to attend the hearing.
City attorney Amanda O’Boyle also spoke on behalf of Houtz saying the handwritten petition lacked clarity
In the end the election commission cited a 2023 State Board of Canvassers precedent to support its decision. Petition sponsor Kyle Wallace, who was also absent from the proceedings, now has a 10-day window to appeal the board’s ruling in the Branch County Circuit Court.
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