Four members of the Livingston County Republican Party have been kicked out, and their paid memberships terminated or rejected.
Why? What political crime did these four commit to merit such drastic and unprecedented action on the part of the LCRP?
The four are members of the Brighton Area Schools Board of Education: Roger Myers, president; Jennifer Marks, vice president; Katie Tierney, treasurer; and Alicia Urbain, trustee.
So, what was their mortal sin?
According to an anonymous source, the four supported the $156 million bond issue the Brighton Area Schools put before voters on May 5, and their excommunication took place after a unanimous vote of the LCRP executive committee to oust them.
Myers did not respond to a request for comment. Marks and Tierney verified that they received the excommunication email from the LCRP on Monday, informing them that they had been booted from the party.
Urbain verified that she, too, was booted via email, and provided a statement: “I am a Republican and a member of the Michigan Republican Party,” she said. “I wasn’t at the meeting, so I can’t speak to what happened there. I look forward to continue to put kids first regardless of party, to work to improve literacy rates in our community, and to work to elect Republicans in Livingston County.”
(Deb Drick, chair of the Livingston County Republican Party, has not responded to requests for comment. If she does, we will update this story.)
It is not clear when the vote to boot these members took place; however, the LCRP calendar shows a general membership meeting on Thursday, May 7 — two days after the bond issue special election — while the excommunication emails went out on Monday, May 11.
The seven members of the BAS board of education, including the excommunicated four, unanimously supported the bond issue, which lost by 348 votes — or 3 points — in the special election. Unofficial results from the Livingston County Clerk show 5,355 votes for the bond issue (48.43%) and 5,703 votes against (51.57%).
The bond issue would have financed projects across 10 schools and centers, including security lockout systems; new roofs, elevators and storage space; and repairs to the district’s parking lots. There were also projects included at the Brighton Center for the Performing Arts, the Brighton Education and Community Center, Miller Early Childhood Center, and the transportation and maintenance building. (Click here to read all the details about the bond.)
Had it passed, the bond would have increased property taxes by 1.08 mills, for a total tax of 4 mills. In 2019, district voters approved a $59 million bond request, and in 2012, voters gave thumbs up to an $88 million bond.
While it’s not known who was present to vote the four out, members of the Livingston County Republican Party executive committee include:
Deb Drick, chair
Rob Rodriguez-Pelizzari, vice chair
Jim Dettling, treasurer
Angela Yarber, secretary
Jessica Barefield
Michelle Blondeel
John Conely
Joanie Econom
Terran Frye
Ron Galard
Bob Kitteridge
Norris Hardeman
Denise O’Connell
Kat Olson
Larry Parsons
Mary Beth Potrykus
Bill Reiber
Lisa Rozmarniewicz
Lance Schuhmacher
Mike Stanton
Sharon Stanton
David Tharp
Maria Woolford
