In recent months, our community has witnessed concerning actions by the Bay Area Transportation Authority (BATA) board that have significant implications for voter accountability and transparent governance. I want to take this opportunity to commend Grand Traverse County Commissioner Brad Jewett for his vigilant leadership on the BATA board of directors and his dedication to upholding the principles of accountability and integrity on behalf of Grand Traverse County residents.
In February 2023, the BATA board voted 5-2 to expand its composition from seven to nine members. While permissible under its Articles of Incorporation, this move effectively distances BATA from direct voter accountability. By adding two additional at-large members—elected by the appointed board members themselves—the board dilutes the influence of members appointed by elected officials.
Opinion: BATA’s biggest mistake: Trusting this county board
The Grand Traverse County Board of Commissioners appointed Brad Jewett to represent the voters who elected us on the BATA board. Brad alerted us to the board seat stacking going on and the County Board of Commissioners took action to stop it. Without Jewett’s vigilance, the power to spend our tax dollars would have moved farther from the voter’s reach. I commend Commissioner Jewett for his steadfast leadership and service to taxpayers.
In response to continued accountability, BATA chose to initiate legal action against Grand Traverse County for reappointing Brad Jewett to the BATA board, making the ridiculous claim that a county commissioner cannot be a citizen representative, though it is a common practice for board appointments. In response, a Circuit Court judge denied their request for ex parte injunctive relief. The court transcript is quite clear when the judge states:
Page 22, lines 16-19: “There is nothing in the language of 3A that limits a county commissioner from serving as a different type of BATA board member other than ex officio, assuming they meet the requirements for that other type.”
Page 23, lines 17-20: “So, even if the Court were in a position to examine extrinsic evidence, the parties did not include limited language relative to the number of county commissioners that could serve on the BATA board in the final interlocal agreement.”
Page 24, lines 14-16: “My role is limited to the language of the agreement. And, as such, the Court cannot find at this time that the breach exists.”
Page 25, lines 9-12: “BATA indicates that it would suffer more harm than Grand Traverse County because of the breach, but as I already indicated at this stage of the case at least I cannot say that the county has breached the agreement.”
Despite the judge’s very clear message, BATA’s waste of tax dollars continues as a slim majority of the BATA board of directors continues to vote to pursue this lawsuit. Perhaps they are hoping to make Brad Jewett look bad in the upcoming election. But to me, they have once again affirmed our community’s need for leaders like Grand Traverse County Commission vice-chair Brad Jewett. Let’s keep Brad on the job. Re-elect Jewett to the Grand Traverse County Commission.