I want to congratulate Joe Moss for his incumbency win for Ottawa County Commission District 5.

It was a tall mountain for me to climb to challenge him in the primary. I did not have dark PAC money and $25/hour canvassers posting $100 street signs. I had three volunteers and myself, all with full-time jobs.

But let us get some perspective. Joe’s Ottawa Impact had to abandon the other OI candidates to save his seat. Loyalty only works one way with OI and Joe. If I had hitched my horse to the OI wagon and lost, I admit I would have been angry.

So now Joe’s power has been whittled down. He no longer holds a majority nor will be the chair come January. He gets to sit in the corner and deal with a plethora of lawsuits for all the damage done while he was the chairperson.

OI’s empty rhetoric and vengeance politics has run its course. Goodness will prevail at the county again with fresh leadership. No more lawsuits, financial integrity will be restored, and carnival meetings are no longer tolerated.

And now the Dems are thrilled to take on the OI candidates that survived in the general election because these are very vulnerable. Will Joe try hard again to save his seat again while the others wither? Get the popcorn, let us watch the next episode in OI’s self-destruction.

Good luck, Joe. I am still a mayor and you are just a commissioner.

Mark Northrup

Hudsonville

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