He’s one of the most powerful politicians in southeast Michigan, and he’s been the subject of several 7 Investigations, but now Oakland County Commission Chair Dave Woodward is the focus of a recall campaign.
Watch Heather Catallo's video report:
Woodward has come under fire for his consulting work with private companies like Sheetz, and last week, hundreds of Oakland County voters shouted him down at a packed meeting where they say Woodward refused to let them speak before a crucial vote.
PREVIOUS REPORT: Did Oakland County commission head use position to help along possible Sheetz in Waterford?
The Oakland County Board of Commissioners has already approved the Flock drone trial agreement, despite protests from county residents who said they did not want the deal to go through for many reasons.
Now the 7 Investigators have confirmed that Commission Chair Dave Woodward (D-Royal Oak) traveled to Flock headquarters last fall, which other county leaders say Woodward did not reveal prior to his vote on the drone contract.
“You are wrong, Dave! Dave, you are wrong,” yelled members of the public who had wanted to speak about the drone plan at the meeting on April 8.
Residents say they were upset when Commission Chair Dave Woodward and other commissioners moved the public comment to the end of the board meeting, long after the vote on the drones that they were there to discuss.
Now some of those voters are mobilizing to try to recall Woodward from his elected position in District 1, which includes parts of Royal Oak, Birmingham, and Troy.
“I do want to share that recall language has been officially submitted to Oakland County as of yesterday,” Mike Flores, organizer of the “I Am Oakland County” recall campaign, told volunteers at an organizing meeting Thursday night. “So that officially kicks off the process!”
Flores and another Troy resident, Justine Galbraith, are organizing the “I Am Oakland County” recall effort.
“Having them take the vote before… they had to hear from any of us just felt really disdainful, and it was just kind of an egregious subversion of democracy,” said Galbraith. “Decisions that affect millions of people should not be made this way. So, it's a big deal.”
“I think what constituents are saying is that yes, we do deserve a voice. We want to be heard at every level. And since we weren't heard on April 8th, this is the step that the process allows us to do to make sure that our voices are being heard,” said Flores.
And while the Flock drone contract is a key part of the recall, they say it’s not their only concern with Woodward.
“To me, the bigger issue is democracy. You had hundreds of residents of the county there who didn't get to be heard on a really fraught issue,” said Galbraith. “The people have the power. That’s what this is about.”
“I think that it's a really telling moment here in Oakland County where constituents from across the county, not just District One, are coming together and saying, ‘hey, what happened on April 8th was not appropriate.’ It was not something that really made them feel engaged, and we really want to feel engaged, and we want to be heard,” said Flores.
Both Flores and Galbraith say they’ve been paying close attention to what they call Woodward’s poor treatment of the public at board meetings, and they’ve followed our 7 Investigations into Woodward’s ties to the Sheetz gas station chain and his treatment of his fellow Democrat commissioners who’ve pushed for more transparency.
PREVIOUS STORY: Oakland Co. commission head defends Sheetz side job, denies conflict of interest
Woodward has denied he has any conflict of interest with his Sheetz consultant job, but has refused to disclose who his other consulting clients are.
Now the 7 Investigators have confirmed through county records that Woodward, along with two Oakland County Sheriff’s employees, traveled to Flock headquarters in Atlanta last fall. Even though Woodward co-sponsored the resolution for the Flock drone project, it does not appear his visit was disclosed during the board meeting. Several commissioners have told the 7 Investigators they were unaware of Woodward’s visit to Flock.
The board resolution authorizes Woodward, as Board Chair, “to execute all necessary agreements” with Flock.
Woodward released this statement to the 7 Investigators:
The job of an elected official is to make informed decisions in the best interest of my community, so I do my homework and I do my research. I was invited to attend a meeting with the leadership of Oakland County Sheriff’s Office to learn more about the service. It was an opportunity to better understand the technology and address my privacy concerns directly with the company’s senior leadership. We also visited a local police department that’s currently using this tool and spoke with the police chief and his staff about its effectiveness in supporting public safety.
After asking several times, Woodward finally confirmed to the 7 Investigators that Flock paid for the visit to Atlanta.
“An undisclosed, all-expense-paid trip from The Flock Group is exactly why stronger ethics and financial disclosure policies are needed in Oakland County. This continues a troubling pattern. Once again, the question is: Are decisions being made in the public’s best interest—or about personal financial interests?” said Oakland County Commissioner Kristen Nelson (D-Waterford) in a statement.
As for the recall, in a separate statement, Woodward called that effort a “ridiculous” stunt:
I’m proud to champion Democratic values and deliver real results for our community, and my colleagues and I remain focused on boosting incomes for working households, protecting the most vulnerable among us, and ensuring our communities are healthy and safe. Their efforts will not be a distraction from our work in Oakland County as we continue to respond to the needs of our residents, protect public safety, and expand opportunities for all families.
The voters pursuing the recall say they do not view this as a stunt.
“I’m joining this effort to ensure that our elected officials are held accountable to the people of Oakland County -- the people who voted for them and the people who gave them their power. If he’s not going to listen to us, then he’s not the right man for the job, frankly, and I’d like to see him recalled,” said Sam Garin, who attended Thursday’s “I Am Oakland County” meeting. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a Republican, you’re a Democrat, whatever party you are – fundamentally, you have to answer to the people. And Dave Woodward chose not to listen to the people of Oakland County. And that’s just wrong.”
The “I Am Oakland County” organizers will need about 9-thousand signatures from Woodward’s district in Royal Oak, Troy, and Birmingham. If their effort is successful, the recall could prompt a new election in November.
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