06/27/2026
When Amanda O’Boyle slid Ordinance 885 across the desk at City Council, did anyone bother to tell you what was actually in it? Did the people elected to represent you pull you aside and say, “Hey, just so you know, we’re about to radically change your life?”
Of course not. They never do. In fact, many of you only found out about it because it was posted right here on this page.
And what exactly was Ordinance 885? It was a blank check. A vague, sweeping power grab designed to give the city the authority to tear down your home based on whatever arbitrary standards they felt like enforcing that day. No judge. No due process. Just a wrecking ball showing up at your door because the city said so. It’s exactly the kind of weaponized bureaucracy people criticized Amanda O’Boyle for during her time in Lansing.
But did the city explain any of that to you? No, they didn't. They tried to slip it through when they thought you weren't paying attention. But you were paying attention. You packed the City Council meeting, and suddenly they were the ones sweating, trying to justify a dangerous, unprecedented power grab in front of a room full of angry citizens. They made zero effort to ensure the contents of Ordinance 885 were clear to the voters, because clarity was the last thing they wanted.
So, you'd think that would be the end of it, right? First, they promised a vote at the very next meeting. But that didn't happen. Then, the Mayor claimed they were "working on the wording." And then? Total silence. Months went by, and they acted like Ordinance 885 never existed. They thought you forgot.
But then, at a random Council meeting in June, resident Karen Kline stood up and demanded answers. She requested that Ordinance 885 be listed as "unfinished business." And just like that, suddenly we had an update. Mayor Tom Kramer practically tripped over himself to announce that Ordinance 885 would not be revisited. It’s dead.
But Ordinance 885 hasn't completely left the headlines. This time, it’s in the news because Coldwater resident Kyle Wallace is actually trying to hold someone accountable for it. Specifically, 4th Ward City Councilman Scott Houtz. Wallace filed a recall petition against Houtz, and the reason listed on the petition was simple, factual, and completely undeniable: Scott Houtz voted yes on the introduction of Ordinance 885.
Nobody disputes this. It’s right there in their own meeting minutes. But the petition was killed at the clarity hearing. And you will not believe the excuse they used to kill it.
Mayor Kramer and—ironically—Amanda O'Boyle stood up and argued that the phrase "Scott Houtz voted yes on the introduction of ordinance 885" was just too confusing for you, the voter, to possibly comprehend. They claimed that referring to it as "Ordinance 885" is too vague. They literally argued that it is not reasonable to expect voters to know what Ordinance 885 is.
Wait. Think about that for a second. Let the sheer, breathtaking arrogance of that wash over you.
The very same people who tried to quietly pass a dangerously vague ordinance to demolish your property are now telling you that the name of that ordinance is too vague for your little peasant brain to understand. When they wanted the power to seize your home, the details didn't matter. But the second you try to use the democratic process to hold one of their own accountable? Suddenly, they're sticklers for precision.
It’s completely absurd, and they know it. But it’s not about clarity. It’s about protecting the club. It’s about protecting the table. They’re perfectly happy writing laws that are too vague for you to understand, but the moment you try to use their own words against them, they change the rules.
And for what? To protect Scott Houtz? Let’s be honest for a second. What is the last word Scott Houtz has said at a City Council meeting other than "Aye"? I'll tell you what it was. It was "Nay." To find a meeting where he said anything at all other than "Aye" or "Nay," you have to go back quite far. He simply does not act as a representative of the people living in Coldwater's 4th Ward.
Yet, somehow, he drew the fierce, protective support of the Mayor and the City Attorney at a county clarity hearing. Why? Is it because he's a towering, outstanding example of a great City Councilman? Or is it because he's a yes man? Or a no man, when they need him to be? He's a free vote at the table. A guy who sits quietly, doesn't ask questions, and never, ever pushes back against proposals that harm the peasant class.
But the club is about to find out that protecting the table has a cost.
This upcoming week, temperatures are expected to be in the 90s in Coldwater. But I'm here to tell you, the temperature inside Coldwater City Offices will likely be a whole lot hotter. I'm planning a busy week of posts right here on The Coldwater Scam. Expect fireworks. 🎆
While I work on that, Kyle Wallace has informed me he’s not backing down. He will be submitting new language in his continued pursuit of recalling Scott Houtz. But it gets better. He has also informed me that he will be submitting paperwork to pursue the recall of a completely different elected official at the Branch County level.
I asked who. He wouldn't tell me. 🤷♂️
Buckle up.
