ALBION, Mich. — Mayor Garrett Quincy Brown is facing serious allegations this week from a few of his own citizens. In early October, a personal protection order (PPO) was filed against him by a woman who claimed he harassed and stalked her within the last few months. Then on Tuesday, another resident filed a recall petition to remove him from office. FOX 17 has obtained documents confirming both allegations.
In the PPO, the woman told police that Brown had been tampering with her air conditioning unit and placing a stool outside her window to look into her home. She said there had been previous instances where Brown would drive up and down her street, but she didn't report any of them to police because he "told her he is the mayor and he controls the police department."
The victim said she decided to report him once neighbors and her daughter told her they saw Brown on her property. No charges were ever filed against Brown but the victim was granted a PPO against him shortly after the police reports were filed. It states that he cannot approach or contact her in any way and any violation could mean 3 months behind bars.
Mayor Brown Faces Recall Petition
Albion resident Chad Baase filed a petition to remove Mayor Brown from office on Tuesday. This petition is not related to the stalking allegations. Baase said he filed the paperwork because of the mayor's "arrogance."
"He's not following his job description," Baase said during an interview in front of Albion City Hall.
Baase said Brown had been leading like a dictator since he came into office last Fall and was not getting input from council members when making decisions. His behavior is reflected in the way he treated the former city manager who resigned earlier this week.
"It's so sad to see that somebody wants to dictate on how a city manager runs her job," said Baase. "We don’t have the clerical staff to support running it as a mayor-run city. That's what the hidden agenda really seems to be is the mayor wanting to change the charter to be a mayor-ran city."
Baase ran for mayor himself last year and lost to Brown. However he said this isn't a personal vendetta. He will be speaking about the petition at a language hearing on October 31 in Marshall.
"The recall language has been received to recall the mayor and one council person," said Anne Norlander Calhoun County Clerk and Register of Deeds. "Any citizen has the ability, if they feel that there’s been wrongdoing, to submit to the county clerk language to recall whichever elected official has erred."
Norlander said if the recall language is approved then Baase must collect 439 signatures for the petition from Albion residents regarding the mayor. He'll need another 97 for the council member.
"Once those signatures are collected and they’re valid, and there are enough of them, then they’ll be on the ballot," said Norlander regarding the next primary election next summer.
This isn't the firt time Baase has been in the news. A few years ago, he was charged with sending Facebook messages to county officials threatening the water supply. He admitted it was not a good decision. He was going through a custody battle and felt his children were in danger. He said in a phone interview that he is a changed man. It is not the motivation behind the petition. He loves Albion and wants better for the city.
"The city council can impeach the mayor as a whole as city council," said Baase. "They can impeach a single member who is going against the grain of the best interest of the city and who is actually violating charter in how they operate."
FOX 17 reached out to Mayor Brown, by phone and email, requesting a comment but has yet to hear back.
