Newly elected commissioners in a rural Michigan county have already handed voters a major victory by revoking public support for a Chinese company to build a battery factory.
Four new commissioners were sworn in in Mecosta County on Thursday: Greg Adams, Jeff Jackson, Gary Lambrix and Chris Zimmerman. Mecosta County is a county of fewer than 40,000 residents located approximately one hour north of Grand Rapids. Their first task was to do what the people chose for them. It began opposing Goshon's plans to build an electric vehicle battery factory in Green Charter Township.
Immediately after taking office, the new board voted 5-2 to revoke Resolution 2023-04, which was passed under the previous board and gave official support to the Gothion plant. midwesterner Reported. Commissioners Chris Jane and Bill Routley both voted “no.”
The paper said the newly adopted resolution “reveals new information and developments regarding projects with direct ties to the Chinese Communist Party, their ownership structures, and broader issues of foreign investment.” It has been stated. pioneer.
Gotion's headquarters are in Silicon Valley, but its parent company, Gotion High Tech, is based in China. To advance the project under the Green Charter, Gauthion negotiated with Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and other members of Congress, as well as in secret. allegedly took bribes Approval was sought from several previous members of the County Commission.
“When 92% of Mecosta County residents opposed a Chinese battery factory…commissioners should have listened.”
For years, voters in this area have been surprisingly clear and consistent about their opinion of the Goshon facility: They don't want it. Despite the promise of more than 2,300 new jobs, residents are concerned about possible communist infiltration and environmental damage.
In fact, as Blaze News previously reported, Green Charter residents vehemently opposed the idea and expelled all seven members of the town board in 2023. Five of them were recalled at their polling stations. Two others resigned.
Adams, Jackson, Lambrix and Zimmerman clearly took notice and ran for county commission in 2024 in opposition to Gothion.
Zimmerman, the new board chairman, said in remarks Thursday that local leaders have ignored the opinions of their constituents for too long.
“The commission should have listened when 92% of Mecosta County residents opposed a Chinese battery factory in our area,” he said.
“All four of us were against Gaushon,” Zimmerman continued, referring to himself, Adams, Jackson, and Lambrix, adding, “Passage of this resolution will help heal the divisions in our community. I hope. Moreover, as long as there are four of us on the committee, we will no longer ignore the will of the people.”
Zimmerman also acknowledged the risks of Chinese companies setting up roots in Mecosta County. “Our legislators [John Moolenaar] “If our community had security concerns with China, the commission should have rescinded the project's approval,” he said.
President-elect Donald Trump issued a similar warning about Gaushon in August. “The Goshon factory would be very bad for the state and our country. It would put the people of Michigan under the control of the Chinese Communist Party in Beijing. I'm 100% against it!” he posted on social media.
The Mecosta County Commission has now expressed opposition to the Gothion plant, but since the project is currently embroiled in litigation, it is unclear what impact a vote to rescind the resolution will have in practice.
Gauthion did not respond to Blaze News' request for comment.
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