Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Getty/Ottawa CountyA county commissioners board in western Michigan that was taken over by a far-right slate of candidates will vote Tuesday on whether to drastically cut the health department’s budget, in the face of pleas by public health officials and community protests.A group of ultraconservative candidates, motivated by resentment over COVID restrictions and mask mandates, swept to power in a election held in Ottawa County in Aug. 2022.
Ottawa County’s board was taken over by ultraconservative candidates promising to undo the injustice of COVID restrictions. Now they are targeting public health officials.