Davey admits she was wrong; mayor tired of attacks
By Barb Pert Templeton
Last night’s regular meeting of the Algonac City Council included resident Sandra Simmons returning to the podium to ask officials to finally, publicly, admit that a notice of a public hearing on the special assessment district (SAD) for the city’s fire department was in fact not posted prior to the election in 2024.
After Simmons spoke during public comments, Mayor Pro Tem Dawn Davey admitted during her council comments that she was wrong and Simmons was right about the issue. In addition, Mayor Rocky Gillis addressed Simmons claims that he told her to move away from the city after she asked him to resign and strongly stated that he was tired of her online attacks.
During public comments Simmons said she was directing her comments to Davey. She then referred to a post on social media from September 2024 claiming Davey basically stated that Simmons didn’t know what she was talking about.
“When are you going on the record of when and why you put out false, wrong or incorrect information and not declare it in this room as a city council member and now a Pro Tem Mayor to resolve this issue?” Simmons said “When will you go on the record that I was right and you were wrong?”
“Actually, I was going to in my closing (comments),” Davey said.
“Okay, thank you very much,” Simmons replied and noted that she legally, can come to the city council meetings until March 9, 2029 to discuss the issue.
Simmons then stated that Gillis made a post on the Facebook page Light Up Algonac asking her to leave the city.
“You said move Sandy, move. Make me,” Simmons said. “Would you like to make an offer on my house I’ll take $235,000.”
She then shared again that there was a lack of a public notice for the public hearing in 2024 and a denial of her FOIA request for a copy of the public notice included a notation from the city stating the notice didn’t exist.
“Mr. Gillis please tell me where this public notice is, if the city clerk is stating is does not exist,” Simmons said. “You will not respond because it does not exist. How did proposal one get on the ballot?”
Simmons concluded with the statement “Your recall will commence very soon.”
Davey admits she was wrong
During council comments Davey said she has stated many times, although not while seated at the council table, that Simmons is right on the issue and she was wrong.
Algonac Mayor Rocky Gillis
“I admire the diligence that you have put into that, I know that you don’t have a computer,” Davey said. “There are things that I will disagree with regarding all of this. I don’t’ think that there were violations that reach to the point where the mayor is being asked to resign.”
Davey said when she posted things out on social media, she didn’t realize that Simmons was right and the city was wrong about a public hearing notice.
She went on to state that the council could have decided the special assessment for the fire department themselves but instead decided it should be taken to the voters. Davey said she didn’t even realize a public hearing was necessary.
“Asking for a public notice for a hearing that didn’t happen to begin with, well I get a little fuzzy on that,” Davey said, referring to Simmons continued request for the document from the city.
She again said she applauded Simmons diligence on the issue and thinking about how she did it without a computer or the internet was impressive.
“Hopefully I have given you what you asked for, I’ve mentioned it here, you were right and I was wrong,” Davey said.
Mayor tired of attacks
During his council comments Gillis said yes, he did tell Simmons to move, he’s not going to lie about it but he was tired.
“After multiple attacks on Facebook, I was tired and it is your first amendment right but don’t take away my first amendment right to tell you to move, just because I have a title it doesn’t bind me to anything else,” Gillis said.
“You went as far to contact the sheriff, tell people I’m going to get arrested, I’m going to jail, all kinds of things, all kinds of things you’ve done, so I’m tired,” Gillis said. “You told me to resign I told you to move, it was as simple as that.”
The mayor added that if she didn’t like his comment. he’s sorry but he doesn’t like her taking away his first amendment rights.
Gillis then stated that he doesn’t know what her overall goal is whether it’s to take the vote from the people who approved the fire millage or is it simply just to prove that the council was wrong.
“Again, I have the first amendment right to tell you to move, just as you have the first amendment right to talk on Facebook about the people that sit in the back row of this room and I don’t think it’s appropriate,” Gillis said.
He also didn’t like that she posted a comment stating that he went out the backdoor of a recent meeting because she was in the room.
“Mrs. Simmons, I go out the backdoor every meeting,” Gillis said.
“I think it’s actually kind of creepy that you talk about us all this much, 149 comments in one month (about) the city council of Algonac? I hope you find a better hobby,” the mayor continued. “And I’m sorry that I’m totally being disrespectful right now but you have been disrespectful. My family has suffered, the things that you’ve said, my child knows about you and all the things that you’ve said and I’ve dedicated my life to this city.”
Gillis then asked Simmons not to disrespect his first amendment right to tell her to move.
“I will not hire your moving truck and I will not buy your house but it’s still my first amendment right,” Gillis added.
The mayor then called for a motion to adjourn the meeting.
