Former Ottawa County Sheriff Gary Rosema was appointed to serve as the interim administrator for Ottawa County on a split vote of the county board on Jan. 7.
Rosema, who served as sheriff from 1993 to 2016 and worked in law enforcement for 42 years, was appointed to serve as administrator for the next six months on a vote of 7-4 at an organizational meeting of the board. He is the third interim administrator hired by the county in the last year, since the firing of former Administrator John Gibbs in February 2024.
“He’s been responsible for the safety of this community for more than two decades,” Commissioner Jacob Bonnema of Zeeland said in supporting Rosema’s selection. “I think he’s one of the men I respect the most for creating the kind of environment that I wanted to move my family into, and to raise my family and build my business here. When you say his name in conversation, there’s a tremendous amount of respect by those who have worked with him over the years.”
New Board Chairman John Teeples said at the conclusion of the board’s Jan. 2 organizational meeting that he would be proposing Rosema’s name for the interim administrator role. Teeples, Bonnema, Josh Brugger, Jim Barry, Jordan Jorritsma, Doug Zylstra and Phil Kuyers voted in favor of the appointment.
The four opposing votes all came from commissioners affiliated with the Ottawa Impact political action committee – Joe Moss, Allison Miedema, Sylvia Rhodea and Kendra Wenzel. The four are concerned that Rosema and Teeples will move to reappoint former county counsel Doug Van Essen to his old position. Van Essen came under fire from some county residents several years ago over his enforcement of COVID-19 mandates.
“Van Essen has demonstrated a pattern of ignoring the law, toxicity to constituents, willingness to abuse government power to threaten citizens, lying and more,” said Moss, who had spoken to Rosema and Teeples about the possibility of Van Essen’s reappointment prior to the board’s vote.
Rosema defended the work Van Essen did as county counsel in the time he was sheriff.
“He represented the county, he represented the (sheriff’s) department, he represented me, he represented our employees, and he did an excellent job,” Rosema said.
“What happened in your relationship (after that), I can’t answer to, and I’m sorry for that … I don’t decide that matter (as to whether Van Essen should be brought back). You as a board member … decide that.”
No decisions have been made yet on the process for finding a permanent county administrator.
Rosema, who served as sheriff from 1993 to 2016 and worked in law enforcement for 42 years, was appointed to serve as administrator for the next six months on a vote of 7-4 at an organizational meeting of the board. He is the third interim administrator hired by the county in the last year, since the firing of former Administrator John Gibbs in February 2024.
“He’s been responsible for the safety of this community for more than two decades,” Commissioner Jacob Bonnema of Zeeland said in supporting Rosema’s selection. “I think he’s one of the men I respect the most for creating the kind of environment that I wanted to move my family into, and to raise my family and build my business here. When you say his name in conversation, there’s a tremendous amount of respect by those who have worked with him over the years.”
New Board Chairman John Teeples said at the conclusion of the board’s Jan. 2 organizational meeting that he would be proposing Rosema’s name for the interim administrator role. Teeples, Bonnema, Josh Brugger, Jim Barry, Jordan Jorritsma, Doug Zylstra and Phil Kuyers voted in favor of the appointment.
The four opposing votes all came from commissioners affiliated with the Ottawa Impact political action committee – Joe Moss, Allison Miedema, Sylvia Rhodea and Kendra Wenzel. The four are concerned that Rosema and Teeples will move to reappoint former county counsel Doug Van Essen to his old position. Van Essen came under fire from some county residents several years ago over his enforcement of COVID-19 mandates.
“Van Essen has demonstrated a pattern of ignoring the law, toxicity to constituents, willingness to abuse government power to threaten citizens, lying and more,” said Moss, who had spoken to Rosema and Teeples about the possibility of Van Essen’s reappointment prior to the board’s vote.
Rosema defended the work Van Essen did as county counsel in the time he was sheriff.
“He represented the county, he represented the (sheriff’s) department, he represented me, he represented our employees, and he did an excellent job,” Rosema said.
“What happened in your relationship (after that), I can’t answer to, and I’m sorry for that … I don’t decide that matter (as to whether Van Essen should be brought back). You as a board member … decide that.”
No decisions have been made yet on the process for finding a permanent county administrator.
