By Erin McClary
C & G Staff Writer

MACOMB TOWNSHIP — During one of the largest turnouts yet for a public meeting at Township Hall, the Macomb Township Board of Trustees were made aware of a committee proposing a recall election against certain members.

“Thanks for calling the committee to recall Koehs and Krzeminski. Please leave a message after the tone,” says the voicemail of one resident, Robert Barsotti, who publicly gave out his phone number during the televised meeting June 24.

He has not returned messages from the Macomb Township Chronicle; however, he’s made the public very aware at numerous board meetings over the past several months of his claims against the two trustees named in his voicemail.

Barsotti is threatening to petition enough residents to support a recall of Macomb Township Clerk Michael Keohs and Trustee Roger Krzeminski, both of whom recently won voter approval and were re-elected to the Board of Trustees in the November 2008 election.

He said he’s tired of seeing the board “bump heads with small businesses.” And he’s not the only one, apparently.

At the same meeting, Kathleen Borgia, owner of Giuseppi’s Trattoria, said “Bring me the recall papers and let me be the first to sign.”

Borgia and her husband say they spent two years and thousands of dollars trying to buy a liquor license from the township for their Italian restaurant on Hayes at 21 Mile Road. They eventually bought one at an auction, and the board approved a transfer.

The June 24 meeting drew close to 100 residents, mostly either in support of opening the Tavern at Tina’s, a restaurant that’s sat dormant the past 18 months amid concern from township inspectors, and senior citizens pushing the board to be more effective in accommodations for the elderly.

The Board of Trustees has been accused by numerous residents — especially small-business owners — of making it difficult for new businesses to establish themselves in the township. Barsotti said the board’s given businesses like Tavern at Tina’s and Brentwood Limousine a harder time than necessary. He’s also accused them of being caught up in politics and playing favorites.

“I feel like I live in Russia,” he said.

Koehs said as the township clerk, he’s not intimidated by the recall process. In fact, he said he’d be curious to see whether the majority still supports him. Just eight months ago, he ran unopposed for his seat and won. He’s been the township clerk since 2002, and has worked for the township since 1997.

“I can appreciate rattling the troops,” he said June 24. “If anyone, certainly the clerk can understand a recall.”

He told the audience, most of whom left after the public comments portion of the meeting, that a recall election would cost the township $40,000-$50,000. Because it’s already July, the election wouldn’t make the August ballot, and a special election in November would not garner any money back from the county.

Before a recall could happen, the “committee” would have to gather signatures from a certain percentage of the voter turnout from the November 2008 election.

Koehs estimated they’d need about 7,000 petitioned signatures.

Conducting a recall is Barsotti’s right, Koehs said, adding that he’s fine with him exercising it. Spending the township’s money on such an election when any candidate could’ve run against him this past fall is what he has a problem with.

He said he came into his position as clerk knowing that the elections he runs could potentially land him out of a job.

“I don’t look at it as a threat,” said Koehs. “I’m not afraid of this process.”

Krzeminski has also taken some heat from residents, primarily for his role in enforcing a consent judgment on Brentwood Limousine, a Macomb Township business partially owned by Township Supervisor Mark Grabow.

The township is currently in litigation with the Grabow family over property taxes they allegedly owe for running a commercial business on an agriculturally zoned property.

At the June 24 meeting, Barsotti accused Koehs of being relatives with the owners of Mutt & Jeff’s, a restaurant that used to occupy the building Tavern at Tina’s has taken over.

Koehs flatly denies the accusation.

“Every person has the right to do what they think is right,” Krzeminski said about Barsotti’s threat of a recall. “If he feels I’m not doing the right thing, he has the process to do whatever he has to do.

“The majority of the people know we’re doing the right job, (but) we’re not hearing from them.”

Krzeminski said he was amazed at the turnout at the June 24 meeting. He said he’d never seen anything like it.