KENT COUNTY, Mich. — The Kent County Elections Commission unanimously approved all 7 recall petitions against three Lowell Township officials at the center of a months-long debate over a proposed Microsoft data center at the Covenant Business Park off of I-96.
The commission held a recall hearing Tuesday morning for Township Supervisor Jerry Hale and Trustees Mark Anderson and William Thompson.
WATCH: Effort to remove Lowell Township officials from office advances amid Microsoft data center debate
The Lowell Township Recall organization submitted 3 petitions against Hale and 2 each against Anderson and Thompson. The group accuses all three board members of ignoring community concerns and prioritizing the interests of Microsoft.
Jennifer Stewart Dodgson, co-chair of Lowell Township Recall, said residents deserve better representation.
"The people deserve representation that is [...] factual and that supports the will of the people."
After the commission's unanimous vote, Dodgson said she was satisfied with the outcome.
"I'm very pleased with the results. The wording was clear and it was factual. The court agreed with us, as they should," Dodgson said. "Now we are able to give the citizens, the residents of Lowell Township their voice and let them decide if these people have lost the trust and confidence of them."
The recall push comes as debate over the proposed data center continues to intensify.
On June 8, FOX 17 attended a nearly 6.5-hour commission meeting where Microsoft presented details of its proposed data center campus. The presentation was met with audible opposition from those in attendance.
WATCH: No decision reached after lengthy Lowell Township meeting on Microsoft data center proposal
The three township officials now have up to 10 days to appeal the approved petitions. If the petitions survive that process, Lowell Township Recall volunteers will begin collecting signatures.
The group hopes to reach its signature goal by July 31 to appear on the November ballot.
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