Bill Riney spearheads effort to recall Ypsilanti Township officials
Ypsilanti Township resident Bill Riney is working to recall all of Ypsilanti Township's elected officials.
Riney said he and a group of 10 residents calling themselves the “End Rude Behavior Group” have submitted petition language to the Washtenaw County Clerk’s Office. Riney said he's upset the township pays the McLain and Winters Law firm more than $1 million annually for legal services.
The submitted language states each elected official has “irresponsibly” voted to pay the firm the sum. The recall petition will be reviewed by the Washtenaw County Election Commission on Oct. 13. If approved, the petition must be signed by 25 percent of the voters who cast ballots either in the last governor’s election or the upcoming election, depending on when the paperwork is submitted.
Bill Riney
Because a recall can't make it on the November ballot, a special election would likely have to be held, which the township’s clerk’s office estimated at a cost of $20,000.
“They just sent out a letter yesterday talking about how they need more money for county sheriffs, so it's ridiculous that all they do is squander their money on legal fees,” Riney said. “They need to explain to the citizens of our community why they spend their money like this. No public servant should be getting paid this kind of money.”
Documents show the township paid the McClain and Winters law firm more than $1 million each of the last three years. The firm includes three lawyers and two legal assistants who work in a number of legal areas.
Township Supervisor Brenda Stumbo and Attorney Doug Winters said the bulk of the legal work entails addressing blight-related issues, including demolitions and neighborhood stabilization, which have become a significant problem in the township in recent years. The township has also seen a spike in the number of fires this year, and razing the buildings requires a legal process.
Stumbo and Winters added the legal budget doesn't include money the township is reimbursed through Urban Counties and other collections on properties.
“The budget number tells part of the story — it doesn’t tell all of the story,” Winters said. “Bill Riney knows that. This is nothing more than his latest thirst for attention, which he can’t get enough of.”
Township officials questioned Riney’s motivation, which they say is based on their decision not to endorse Riney in his recent unsuccessful bid for the State House 54th District seat.
“We cannot be distracted as elected officials because we have a lot to do for this township,” Stumbo said. “I believe he is upset because none of the township representatives supported him for state rep.”
Winters had similar feelings.
“This is a person who is a publicity seeker, motivated politics of personal vengeance, and he wants to be a pied piper and have people follow him, but nobody has followed him,” Winters said. “He continues to try to manipulate the media and portray himself as a man of the people, but all Bill Riney is out for is himself.”
Riney was criminally prosecuted in his last attempt to recall Ypsilanti Township officials. In 2004, he pleaded no contest to one count of election fraud after the Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office charged him with five counts of making false statements on recall petitions.
Riney also currently is facing misdemeanor criminal charges. On Labor Day, he climbed onto the Washtenaw County Administration Building in what he called a one-man protest against unemployment, and he was charged with attempted resisting and obstructing, trespassing, and disturbing the peace. That case is pending.
Tom Perkins is a freelance writer for AnnArbor.com. Reach the news desk at news@annarbor.com or 734-623-2530.
Comments
not a billy
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 7:36 p.m.
Winters has been getting top $$ for twenty-plus years. Wouldn't it be cheaper to hire an in-house attorney? We could have sent a lot of young,promising attorneys to the best law schools to be even better for what the Township has spent since the 1980s on legal fees. Take a look back - the battle with the county over police services became a sham with a new twisted filing every time the Township got defeated along the way. Damn nice position to be in - if you at first don't succeed, file again. And again, and again. Write you own check!! The conditions in the township haven't changed, the trailer parks were in the same condition 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 years ago. The thing that needs to change is the TOWNSHIP BOARD. There should be enough qualified professionals living in the township to muster an intelligent slate.
Tom Perkins
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 10:48 a.m.
BenWoodruff, The sentence should have read that the township spent $1 million "each of the last three years" not "over the course of the last three years". The article has been changed.
Betty
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 10:31 a.m.
I thought Bill Riney was in jail for climbing tall buildings in Ann Arbor and being removed by the swat team. Costing the tax payers thousands of dollars. Maybe he could needs a good attorney like Doug Winters.
ulta
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 10:28 a.m.
Zetu has the right idea for Riney getting a Reality tv show......they could call it "WHINEY RINEY'S WORLD".
bedrog
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 7:08 a.m.
ypsidog...that may be tough,now that ypsi is considering a neuter law for badly behaved pitbulls.
ypsidog
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 6:22 a.m.
I want to have Bill Riney's children!!
Michigan Reader
Fri, Oct 1, 2010 : 6:57 p.m.
McClain and Winters, from all appearances, provide the township with excellent representation. They lost the county law enforcement lawsuit, but as contract services providers they act at the behest of the board of trustees. McClain and Winters shouldn't be blamed for losing the police services contract suit. It didn't have a lot of merit to it to start with. I suspect it was initated for political reasons, though I'm not an insider to Ypsi Township polictics
BenWoodruff
Fri, Oct 1, 2010 : 5:04 p.m.
By the way, good message, but the WRONG messenger. Mr. Riney and his antics, the "tree protest", the "roof protest" and the "biker beatdown" because he cut through a funeral procession tells you as much as you need to know about Mr. Riney.
BenWoodruff
Fri, Oct 1, 2010 : 5:01 p.m.
Tom, I believe that you should look at the check registers for the Township over the past few years. McLain and Winters bills over $1,000,000 per year, not over three years as you wrote. This year through the July bills, they billed $639,218. Butzel-Long, the Township's labor attorney billed $64,576. Garan Lucow Miller, another firm that the Township uses/used for the Sheriff lawsuit billed $2431. However, their bills were much higher in the past few years. Giving the benefit of the doubt, maybe this is standard for a Township this size, however, it would be nice to see you check around and compare, and ask if other areas choose their firms or bid out the legal work. The township bids out purchases of over $500.00, but has a no bid contract policy for professional services. Maybe this should be revisited.
zetu
Fri, Oct 1, 2010 : 2:48 p.m.
Why would anyone align themselves with a man who isn't gracious enough to accept defeat, is self promoting with his antics and can't even back up any of his statements with fact? This is the same man who recently cost the TAXPAYERS thousands of dollars because he wanted to climb a building. Are his "supporters" going to help him pay the bill he will surely get for this latest attempt to get more attention??? Hey, I know......why don't you call the "BALLOON BOY'S" father and see if he can give you some ideas to get your own reality TV show. That is what you want isn't it??
Mr. Ed
Fri, Oct 1, 2010 : 11:39 a.m.
Is anyone involved with the law firm from the Twp. Conflicts sometimes can cloud judgements. Keep up the good work Bill.
John of Saline
Fri, Oct 1, 2010 : 11:33 a.m.
This fellow seems to have a lot more spare time than the average person.
Angela Barbash
Fri, Oct 1, 2010 : 11:26 a.m.
I too have wondered if the legal fees we're paying are in line with other municipalities of our size, character and circumstances. An accounting of what we've paid and for what, and what specific legal campaigns have cost us versus the outcome of those campaigns. And they must be getting hip to the criticism lately because I've noticed Doug Winters has taken to actively justifying and expounding upon his legal actions during Board meetings. And 'eyeonthenews', there's another thing we can agree on... being tired of seeing the green Riney bumper stickers everywhere. :/
Jeremy
Fri, Oct 1, 2010 : 10:24 a.m.
Can I recall Riney?
eyeonthenews
Fri, Oct 1, 2010 : 10:19 a.m.
You can look at this story and previous stories about Ypsilanti township with it's many issues, and all the comments regarding those issues, and people in Washtenaw county can see there are some serious problems here. I agree the North end of Ypsi township has been deprived of econimic development and is somewhat thought of as a wasteland. I'm not happy with the way our township officials have turned their back on this area and most definitely think they should make a huge effort to invest more into this area's development. A recall isn't the way to go about improving what we're dealing with at this time. Sure we have to wait until another election but I say let them ride out their time in office and get to the polls next election day and vote in some new people with new ideas. In the mean time, ask questions, demand answers and ask for change. Sorry, but Riney not being one of them. Sure he does have his own way of bringing some issues into view but I really don't want him representing me. The problem here is we have the same people getting elected with the same agenda. We can make the change by getting out and voting. The biggest turn out we get on election day is for the President and that's all and good but we need people to be more active in the local elections. Turnout for local elections is pitifully poor. In the mean time, Township officials, lets see some sign that you want to strengthen this community by investing more in it. Not just your own back yard. It just might help keep you in office next election day.
Steve Hendel
Fri, Oct 1, 2010 : 10:08 a.m.
Why didn't your reporter inquire about that discrepancy regarding the period of time covered by the $1 million in legal fees? Some analysis, in addition to just reporting what people said, might be in order.
Ignatz
Fri, Oct 1, 2010 : 9:44 a.m.
$1 mil over three years does not seem out of line for legal services provided to the township. Being a governmental body, they need to follow all the laws. Following laws costs money. I think Bill has been smoking his own hot dogs.
bedrog
Fri, Oct 1, 2010 : 9:26 a.m.
Yesterday's MICHIGAN DAILY had a silly article by an autobiographical sex-blogger who complained about how her own complicity in a reality show about her own exhibitionism 'violated her privacy'. Riney could give her a run for 'look at me' 'chutzpa' (the yiddish word for pointless unmitigated gall) given his recent publicity -hound activities on rooftops. Probably the GREEN PARTY would welcome him with open arms as a standard bearer.
KeepingItReal
Fri, Oct 1, 2010 : 8:50 a.m.
Some of you bloggers may not like Mr.Riney's tactics or consider him a kook but I suspect that many of you don't want to acknowledge that he may be right, especially those who have something to lose like the township politicians or the law firm. I suggest rather than dismiss him, perhaps the citizens of the Township should ask for some accountability from the Township Board about these legal fees. You may be surprised.
jjc155
Fri, Oct 1, 2010 : 8:20 a.m.
Good Lord doesn't Mr Riney know that everyone is only alotted 15minutes of fame? He is working on about 30minutes currently.
Atticus F.
Fri, Oct 1, 2010 : 8:02 a.m.
You go Bill!...For some reason I keep thinking his name is Ron Riney.
eyeonthenews
Fri, Oct 1, 2010 : 7:48 a.m.
Bill would like to see the township officials recalled because that would leave open seats for him to have another TRY at filling one of those positions. Riney drives around the neighborhoods with his flat bed hot dog trailer passing out free hot dogs and putting his Bumper stickers on everyones cars. Their not really free, you have to let him put a bumper sticker somewhere. If they don't have a car HE puts them on the front doors of their houses. He thinks if he gets enough name recognition that people will vote for him. All of his stunts to keep his name in the news and floating around Washtenaw county via bumper stickers is laughable. Talk about blight. I'm sick of seeing those Green Riney bumper stickers every where.
Cash
Fri, Oct 1, 2010 : 7:47 a.m.
If Bill Riney was out of the picture here, I wonder how many people would be thrilled with Ypsi Township representatives over the past few years....especially the northern township residents. I completely agree with the legal fees issue. What has been accomplished by Winters for over a million dollars? The people of the township are really in dire straits and it's a disgrace to see this wasteful spending. They could have hired police protection with that money to stop the many break ins etc in the township. I wonder what it cost for Winters to go over and "look" at the dilapidated trailer park last week. That trailer park has been in that a horrible condition for years. The township has completely deserted the north side.
Steve Pepple
Fri, Oct 1, 2010 : 7:44 a.m.
A comment containing a personal attack has been removed.
mannyredline
Fri, Oct 1, 2010 : 7:39 a.m.
Have you ever heard of someone trying so hard to gain control over others that they lose control of themself. Mr. Riney, I'm aware of what's going on because it's public record. I consider you a friend and admire your activism. Keep up the good work, but don't neglect yourself. We might need you later on.
glimmertwin
Fri, Oct 1, 2010 : 7:35 a.m.
This guy is somewhat strange, but he is spot-on with the legal representation of the township. This outfit should have been let go after the police services fiasco.
Joe
Fri, Oct 1, 2010 : 7:20 a.m.
This guy has gone from an occasional laugh to a constant nuisance. No offense. I mean, he gives free hot dogs away at the Farmers' Market. But what does that do for the guy trying to sell tamales a few hundred feet away? He pulls all these stunts to protest how much money local governments are wasting, but he ends up costing more money than they're already wasting. There's activism, there's protesting, there's engaging in the political process... and then there's annoying. We always talk of respecting a diversity of tactics for addressing political and social problems, but I've come to realize that there's always a point at which you have to tell someone to stop. Riney just needs to take a step back and think of more creative and less obnoxious ways to deal with today's problems. Climbing a tree might work in an old-growth redwood forest, but in your suburban backyard? Come on.
treetowncartel
Fri, Oct 1, 2010 : 7:15 a.m.
Do they put out an RFP for the legal work?
Gulo gulo
Fri, Oct 1, 2010 : 7:03 a.m.
"Because a recall can't make it on the November ballot, a special election would likely have to be held, which the townships clerks office estimated at a cost of $20,000." So in an attempt to illuminate "irresponsible" township spending, he's going to cost the township an additional $20k for a special election? I'm sure his fellow township residents are thrilled to have him acting on their behalf.
a2huron
Fri, Oct 1, 2010 : 7:02 a.m.
Recalls don't succeed, particularly in the larger townships. It is a waste of time. That said, Ypsi Twp sure does spend a LOT of $ on this law firm. This article needs to include what the township spent on legal fees to Winters back when it sued the county. That was OVER $1 mil in one year alone, wasn't it?
jcj
Fri, Oct 1, 2010 : 6:31 a.m.
"Riney said he's upset the township pays the McLain and Winters Law firm more than $1 million annually for legal services" "Documents show the township paid the McClain and Winters law firm more than $1 million over the course of the last three years." Looks like Bill Riney's math needs some brushing up. If his language skills are not any better than his math the petition will not be approved. Not that he will care his name is in the "news" again.