BERRIEN COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSION UNANIMOUSLY APPROVES SECOND AMENDMENT RESOLUTION

By DEBRA HAIGHT
BCR Correspondent

ST. JOSEPH – The debate on whether Berrien County should be a Second Amendment Sanctuary County came to a close last week with county commissioners approving a compromise resolution where they reaffirmed the oaths they took when elected to uphold the state and federal constitutions.

A packed house at the county board meeting in the Administration Center had people speaking out on both sides of the issue. While proponents of the sanctuary county movement spoke of the importance of protecting people’s Second Amendment right to bear arms in light of recent gun control pushes around the country, others said it wasn’t necessary.

County commissioners ended up saying that it was beyond the county’s purview to tell not only the county sheriff and county prosecutor but also state and federal officials what to do. They agreed with County Prosecutor Mike Sepic that the courts are the ones that make the final decision on what is or isn’t constitutional.

County board chairman Mac Elliott had called the use of the

word “sanctuary” problematic before last week’s vote. He noted that most people today associate the word with sanctuary cities and states which don’t comply with federal immigration laws.

While Berrien County has voted, the Second Amendment Sanctuary movement is still going strong in other parts of the state as well as in Lansing. In Southwest Michigan, a similar effort is being made to make Van Buren County a Second Amendment Sanctuary County and legislation to make Michigan a Second Amendment Sanctuary State is also pending.

Last week’s Berrien County Board of Commissioners meeting

also featured the unexpected resignation of County Corporate Counsel James McGovern after five years on the job. His resignation came after a closed session with the board and is effective March 15.

“For the last five years I have been employed as the Berrien County Corporate Counsel,” McGovern wrote in a press release. “Working for Berrien County, and its officials and employees, has been a great experience – both professionally and personally – and it provided me with a sense of pride that can only be acquired while working in the service of the public.”

He noted that during his employment as the county’s attorney, he provided legal advice that served to protect both the county government and the public trust. Although he did not give a specific reason for his resignation, he wrote about circumstances arising that create conflicts between his different duties.”

“As an attorney I have the duty to advocate for my client’s interests while upholding the duty to honor my profession’s code of ethics; additionally, and most important, I have a duty protect and uphold the public trust. When circumstances arise that create conflicts between any or all of those duties, it is not an option to sacrifice one for the benefit of another.”

His position isn’t the only one the county board has to fill in coming weeks and months. County Administrator William Wolf announced in December that he is resigning in June and Chief Public Defender Christopher Renna is leaving in March to take a similar job in Kalamazoo County.

Like McGovern, Wolf also did not give specifics about his reasons for resigning. He said only said then that there was no longer an “alignment of values and purpose” between him and the board.

The most visible example of division between Wolf and the board came in September when he unsuccessfully urged the board to seek a review from the Michigan Attorney General regarding the conflict of interest allegations involving County Commissioner Teri Freehling.

Freehling was suspended from the board’s personnel and human services committee for 60 days at the conclusion of the conflict of interest review. The review found no evidence of wrongdoing on her part relative to the contracts her late husband had involving drain work for the county.

Since that incident, each of the 12 Berrien County Commissioners have submitted conflict of interest disclosure forms to make sure such situations don’t happen again.

The search for a new county administrator shifts into high gear later this week with the application deadline set for Friday, Feb. 21. Once the deadline passes, commissioners will review the applications and establish the selection process which will likely include one or two rounds of interviews.

The press release announcing the application deadline noted that the education and experience requirements include graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelors’ degree in public administration, business management, finance, law or a related field with a Master’s degree is preferred.

Applicants must have a minimum of ten years of experience in public administration including a thorough knowledge of the principles of local government administration, organizational forms and structures and operating methods and procedures. People can see the complete job posting and apply at the Berrien County website: www.berriencounty.org.