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THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2022
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Language approved in recall petition for New Buffalo Mayor John Humphrey, councilmember Brian Flanagan BY STAN MADDUX
n effort to remove two members of the New Buffalo City Council before their terms expire has crossed the first
Committee to Protect Individual Property Rights based in New Buffalo. Davis, a full-time New Buffalo resident and short-term rental owner, said the make-up of the committee is hurdle. primarily short-term rental owners, The language in petitions to recall short-term rental companies and John Humphrey and Brian Flanagan realtors. was unanimously He said two approved Tuesday, May The language in candidates have already petitions to recall 3, by the Berrien County committed to run John Humphrey and Election Commission against Humphrey and Brian Flanagan during a clarity hearing Flanagan. was unanimously at the Berrien County Davis decided not to approved Tuesday, Administrative Building release the names of the May 3, by the in St. Joseph. candidates, preferring to Berrien County Reasons cited in the let them announce their Election Commission petitions for recalling campaigns when ready. during a clarity Humphrey and Flanagan Reasons cited by hearing at the are their Nov. 23 votes Humphrey for the cap Berrien County to adopt an ordinance include STRs after rising Administrative that prohibits new in number significantly Building in St. short-term rentals in in recent years are too Joseph. R1, R2 and R3 zoning great in density and districts in the city. contribute to population and school The unanimous decision by the city enrollment declines. council in favor of the ordinance went Humphrey also said STRs from their against the recommendation of the income making ability carry higher New Buffalo Planning Commission, value, which has driven up the cost in which felt more information was the local housing market beyond the needed before deciding whether to reach of young families wanting to impose the cap. move here. Berrien County Chief Deputy Clerk However, Davis said Humphrey has Sheila Reitz said the recall petitions not provided the results of any study will require 219 valid signatures for a to prove those claims and apparently doesn’t take into account the effects recall election to be held in November. of the housing market booming If enough signatures are obtained, nationwide on local single family she said Humphrey and Flanagan will dwelling prices. face opposition on the ballot. “He denies the facts and refuses to The recall petition was filed by give them,” he said. Michael J. Davis on behalf of The
LOCAL INTELLIGENCE
Davis also alleged the city never gave notice about its intentions to impose a 17-month moratorium on STRs and later impose a cap. In previous years, no permit was needed to operate a short-term rental but was made a requirement during the moratorium. Davis said it seems like only local residents with STRs knew in advance through word of mouth to get a permit before the cap was adopted. Late in finding out STR owners were placed on a waiting list for a permit and, right now, can no longer welcome guests, he said. Permits will be issued only when current permits are not renewed, officials said. Davis said he was able to obtain a permit to continue operating his second home as a short-term rental like he’s done for several years.
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owever, Davis said he was denied a permit to rent his primary residence. He wanted to make his permanent home available to guests while traveling to help offset the cost of property taxes and other expenses. “This is after five years of operating without a permit. Now, we can’t get one,” he said. Another reason cited in the petition to recall Humphrey is he instructed a police officer during a public meeting on March 21 of last year to remove an individual while she was speaking during her allotted time reserved for
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public comment. Humphrey and Flanagan along with Roger Lijewski were elected to their first terms in November 2020. Their campaigns were built on curtailing the growth of short-term rentals. No recall petitions were filed against Lijewski, though, who was the top vote getter. Humphrey said he likes their chances of surviving a recall election because he and Flanagan defeated their opponents by about a two to one margin. He also said most of the people, except for Davis and a few others behind the recall, do not live in New Buffalo and only residents are eligible to vote. “Everything I’m doing, in my opinion. Is in the best interests of the people who live here. It is what it is,” he said. Humphrey said more families able to live in New Buffalo can help move the city toward a year round economy. Davis said support for Humphrey and Flanagan has cooled from local residents because of what they feel was an unreasonable approach toward addressing STRs. As a result, Davis said opportunity has narrowed for full-time residents wanting to make extra money from renting their homes and residents making a good living in house cleaning and maintenance at STRs in a local economy built on summer tourism. “It’s a very different scene now than it was in the original election,” he said.
