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PAGE 6 ASSOCIATED NEWSPAPERS OF MICHIGAN July 30, 2020

NORTHVILLE
NORTHVILLE

School board president stripped of office

”
Matthew Wilk is no longer the situation on both Monday
the president of the Northville More than 4,000 residents signed and Tuesday night last week.
Public Schools Board of Wilk was removed from his
Education. a petition demanding Wilk's removal position as president and cen-
Members of the board voted as the president of the school board. sured during the Tuesday meet-
last week to remove him from ing.
that office and to censure him Wilk's elected term on the
in response to Facebook posts Wilk said, “I probably should fall. Even the Governor thinks it board expires this year and he
he made downplaying the coro- have followed my kids' own can be done safely. I think the is expected to be on the ballot
navirus and claiming the rules to on the internet: every- offense really ought to be in November. He chaired the
COVID-10 pandemic is a hoax. thing you say will be twisted, directed at the ideas, not the virtual meeting of the board
In one of those posts, Wilk said misconstrued and taken out of messenger. I thank the hun- members on Monday. He said
the coronavirus “only exists in context. It's just the way things dreds of parents who sent me during that meeting that his
falsified statistics shouted on are in 2020. I've been the messages of support.” views are his own.
the news without context.” That staunchest proponent of getting Members of the board met Several parents responded
post was removed when ram- our kids back in school in the and heard public comment on to his posts, however, many
pant criticism of Wilk and cor- highly critical of his opinions. Matthew Wilk
rection of the misinformation One parent posted, One par-
was posted by numerous ent said that his leadership role kids to go to school,” said one
Northville school district par- in the district requires that he Northville parent during the
ents. In another post, Wilk said, be held to a different standard Monday meeting.
“Why don't we allow schools to of conduct. “I think he's an upstanding
reopen and grandma can take “As others have mentioned, individual and I don't see him
the extreme precautions? She this is not only incorrect, it is anywhere off that board. If you
can wear a spacesuit when she also incredibly harmful and wanted to give a censure I
'need' to go out and shop and potentially dangerous to the understand that because your
the rest of the world can go on community at large,” said a opinions matter and they are
about the lives…” Northville alumni. quite valid. But to move him out
More than 4,000 residents Another was more support- of that position in a crisis time
signed a petition demanding ive, stating, “He has the right to like this I think that would be a
Wilk's removal as the president his opinion. And me personal- short-sighted decision,” said
of the school board. ly? I think kids should go back another resident who com-
In a statement following the to school, full time. And as a mented during the virtual
furor his comments created, single working mom I need my meeting Monday.
Northville voters asked to approve a public safety millage

Voters in Northville Township age will result in no increase in ment.
will be asked to approve a mill- the amount taxpayers in the ” A Northville Township house
age to fund police, EMS, fire, township are assessed. Therefore approval of the Aug. 4 millage with a market value of $400,000
parks, recreation, senior and Members of the Northville will result in no increase in the amount will see an increase of approxi-
youth services on the Aug. 4 bal- Board of Trustees approved the mately $100 per year if the mill-
lot. new millage at the April 16 regu- taxpayers in the township are assessed. age is approved by voters, how-
While the millage is an lar meeting. The existing millage ever that increase will be offset
increase of ½ mill, that amount to fund township operations will by a decrease of approximately
will be offset by a decrease of expire this year and trustees decision was based on months of currently being provided in the the same amount in the separate
approximately ½ mill in the mill- agree to place the increase of ½ analysis and input from resi- community. To accomplish that millage for the 2009 Seven Mile
age used for the Seven Mile mill on the ballot, effective for 6 dents. The findings indicated retention of service levels, the ½ Road property purchase. As a
Road property purchase. years, from 2021--2026. that residents are in favor of mill is necessary and 90 percent result, the total millage paid by
Therefore, according to offi- According to a prepared state- maintaining the current levels of of that increase is needed to property owners will not
cials, approval of the Aug. 4 mill- ment from the township, the police, fire and EMS services fund the public safety depart- increase, officials said.