EDITOR’S NOTE: This profile is a continuation of interviews of Ottawa County commissioner candidates. For other profiles prior to May 2, click here.

OTTAWA COUNTY — John Teeples said he never aspired to enter into politics, but that circumstances in Ottawa County couldn’t be ignored.

“We have to all remind ourselves that we have a responsibility to live for the greater good — that we have a higher responsibility than just to ourselves,” he said. “And sometimes there's some causes that that you need to take that stand on. And hopefully, it makes a difference.”

Teeples, 67, is running as a Republican for Ottawa County's District 7, which represents Georgetown Township.

District 7 is currently represented by Republican Rebekah Curran, who is not seeking re-election. Also running for the seat are Republican Rachel Atwood and Democrat Heather L. Majestic.

“This is not something I ever anticipated doing,” Teeples said. “But somebody has to stand up, and I know I have the skills and the experience to help make a difference. So, I don't want to live with regrets. I want to do what I can to help.”

The attorney who specializes in business, employment and estate planning is running after watching the Ottawa Impact-controlled board of commissioners making what he calls “impulsive, self-interested and uninformed decisions based on emotion and inexperience.”

“Twice in my legal career, I fired clients who I thought crossed the line of ethics. One was a client that was 50% of my billings at the time, but they crossed the line for me — because you can't compromise ethics and honesty. And what I saw, what the county commission did, on that Jan. 3, 2023, meeting, I would have fired them as a client,” he said.

Ottawa Impact, a far-right fundamentalist group, formed in 2021 over frustrations with county and state COVID-19 mitigation measures. The group currently has a six-seat controlling majority on the 11-member board and made a series of controversial decisions in 2023 that led to four ongoing lawsuits and a brief investigation from the state attorney general's office.

“They didn't violate the law, but we're judged not just on the law, but on the appearance of an ethical violation, whether it's a violation or not,” Teeples said, alluding to Open Meetings Act violation allegations made over the Jan. 2, 2023, meeting. “In my mind, they cross that ethical violation clearly. And that was enough for me. And then I started seeing everything else and with the wasted decisions they're making to exclude people, to run up huge legal fees because of decisions and impulsive actions.”

Teeples describes himself as a social and fiscal conservative who is compassionate toward his fellow residents.

“I'm an absolute Republican,” he said, “but I'm a pragmatist and a consensus builder. I believe in fiscal conservatism. I'm pro-life, but I'm also compassionate. I’m not a bigot. I’m not prudish. As an elected official, it's just not my way or the highway of doing things because the community's not that way. You’ve got to represent everybody as best you can and be respectful.”

Sentinel Leach is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

If elected, Teeples said he wants to see commissioners come together to get things back on track.

“Given our lack of trust on both sides, I think we invite each other to dinner. We get to know each other. We have to listen to each other; we have to be open to each other,” he said.

A certified mediator with the local courts, Teeples said he has extensive experience in bridging gaps between views and perspectives.

“You don't trust your neighbor, you don't trust the guy down the street if you're sitting back and just judging and assuming that person has a perspective because of how they look or act or vote,” he said. “But if you invite him to dinner or coffee, you have a different perspective of that person. And it provides an opportunity for dialogue and understanding, even if there's continued disagreement, which is often the case, but that's OK.”

Teeples said he would go into the office with an open mind.

“I believe in the inherent goodness of people,” he said. “Now, I can be swayed otherwise when I find someone is acting against that — I’m not naive. But I believe in the inherent goodness of people if they're led without a view of what separates us, but more of what we have in common.”

One of his priorities is to work with community stakeholders to attract talent for local businesses.

“When the businesses in West Michigan are asking our county government to help them promote equity and diversity, I get it, because we need that talent,” he said. “And if young people don't want to move to West Michigan, for whatever reason — especially the ideologies — we need to wake up for that, because that affects everybody. It affects the business owner that's looking for good employees, it affects property values.”

He said, like it or not, DEI principles are an important part of that conversation.

“Maybe the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Department wasn't the right mechanism to make that happen, but the truth is still the truth,” he said. “We need to be more mindful of getting our young people here with more diversity. You can't just say, ‘Well, then move or leave.’”

“I believe in the inherent goodness of people,” he said. “Now, I can be swayed otherwise
when I find someone is acting against that — I’m not naive. But I believe in the
inherent goodness of people if they're led without a view of what separates us, but
more of what we have in common.” ~ John Teeples

A huge proponent of pragmatism, Teeples said OI might have slick words, but the decisions don’t match up.

“People have been misled on who Ottawa Impact is,” he said. “Actions speak louder than words. You can write all the beautiful rhetoric and have all the beautiful statements that we're getting out of the Republican Party controlled by Ottawa Impact right now. But the reason you can't support it is because you can look at their actions and to see if they run true Republican positions.

“Do they run with less government? No, they do not, actually. Do they operate under more transparency of government? No, it's just the opposite. They're hiding and making decisions. Do they make conservative decisions that are fiscally monetarily conservative? No, they do just the opposite. So my problem is that their actions tell me exactly who they are. … And I can't support that at all.”

He said all is not lost in Ottawa County’s current politically divisive state.

“We're a little confused right now, but we're not lost,” he said. “I think the election will tell us where we are. And hopefully we get back on the right course.”

Married for 42 years, Teeples and his wife have three adult children and four grandchildren. He describes himself as an avid hunter and outdoorsman and an interest in “building things.”

Learn more at johnteeples.com or visit his campaign Facebook page.

— Contact Sarah Leach at SentinelLeach@gmail.com. Follow her on Twitter @SentinelLeach. Subscribe to her content at sentinelleach.substack.com.