The Dorr Township Library Board made it very clear it is unhappy with the behavior of Dorr Township Trustee John Tuinstra during the failed millage election earlier this month.

Two representatives from the Library Board told the Township Board Thursday evening that Tuinstra overstepped his freedom of speech rights before the Aug. 6 primary by having his flyers opposing the millage placed improperly on residents’ mailboxes, in violation of federal law.

Library Board President Rachel Vote agreed Tuinstra had every right to tell citizens about his opposition to the request for a one-mill levy for 10 years, but his flyers were discovered to be hanging on mailbox flags. She also said his flyer incorrectly stated an 0.85 mill request was defeated the year before when it actually was 0.789 mill.

“I would hope this does not reflect poorly on the Township Board, but he has an obligation to present correct information,” she charged.

Tuinstra responded, “Either way, it (the millage request) was much more than what was requested (in August 2018). Someone must have picked it (the flyer) up from the ground and put it on the mailbox flag… I am aware of the law… I put it (the flyer) in the press boxes.”

Tuinstra added that he would support a request for the renewal of 0.289 mill for 10 years.

Vote told him, “Our library cannot run on anything less than 0.75 mill.”

Library Board member Sara Ryderman added, “It’s against federal law and you should have known better… Our library is one of the three lowest in funding in Michigan with less than three-tenths of a mill and when you break down our request for one mill it amounts to just $1.35 a week.”

Vote said the Library Board continues to have discussions about what to do in the wake of the millage loss and about what services or personnel must be cut as a result.

Despite suggestions from Tuinstra to place a scaled-down millage proposal on the ballot during the Michigan presidential primary in March, Vote said library officials are looking more seriously at the August primary or November general elections in 2020.