Recall language approved against four Ingersoll Township Board members

The Midland County Election Commission has approved recall petition language targeting four Ingersoll Township Board members, clearing the way for petitioners to begin gathering signatures in a dispute tied to the township's battery energy storage rules and a broader fight over renewable-energy development.

The approval came at a June 12 clarity hearing. Election officials were asked to decide only whether the petition language was factual and clear enough to circulate, not whether the recall effort should succeed. The decision moves the effort into the signature-gathering stage, but it does not itself trigger a recall election.

The petitions were filed June 1 by Alicia Marolf. The approved recall language targets Supervisor Kim Heisler, Treasurer Jim Terwillegar, Trustee Ronald Garrett and Trustee Jacob Terwillegar.

Clerk Mary Ellen Keel was not named in the recall effort, even though local reporting says she also voted for the ordinance at the center of the dispute. The recall language focuses on the board members' July 14, 2025, approval of Ordinance 78.

What the ordinance covers

Ordinance 78 regulates battery energy storage systems. Local reporting says the ordinance includes rules for siting, setbacks, safety, decommissioning and financial assurances for BESS facilities.

That makes the recall effort part of a larger debate over how Ingersoll Township should regulate large energy projects. The ordinance vote became one of the central flashpoints in that local fight.

What happens next

Under Michigan recall rules, petitioners must collect valid signatures equal to at least 25% of the votes cast in the most recent gubernatorial election. The county clerk still has to confirm the vote total that will determine the final threshold.

If petitioners reach that bar, the recall question could move toward a vote. If they do not, the effort will end without a recall election.

The commission's approval can also still be appealed, leaving another possible challenge open.

Larger township dispute

The recall effort is unfolding alongside a separate dispute over DTE Energy's proposed Poseyville Solar Park. The township's planning commission denied the project's permit in April 2026.

DTE filed an appeal in Midland County Circuit Court on June 8, 2026, keeping the solar project fight active in court even as the recall process moved ahead.

The two controversies are linked in local politics because both center on how the township handles large energy projects. The recall push is tied to the board's regulation of battery storage systems, while the court case concerns the solar permit denial.

For now, the immediate next step is signature gathering. The broader questions are whether the recall approval is challenged, whether enough valid signatures are collected and how the separate DTE appeal proceeds.