*Four Township Officials Now Targeted in Fresh Recall Effort*

Comstock Township is the latest battleground for Michigan's increasingly heated recall election season, as four board members face renewed pressure to resign after voting in favor of recommending the revocation of township supervisor Ben Martin's liquor license for his hard cider business.

The recall campaign, which was originally launched in November over a data center moratorium vote, has now been revived with a different justification: the Soil Friends Hard Cider Co. dispute that has divided the community and exposed a decades-old ordinance that appears to bar elected officials from having any interest in alcohol production or sales.

The Controversial Vote

On March 24, Comstock Township board members Nicole Beauchamp (clerk), Kristie Cherry (trustee), Terry McIver (trustee) and Bob Pratt (trustee) all voted in favor of recommending that Michigan's Liquor Control Commission revoke supervisor Ben Martin's liquor license.

The motion came after a complaint surfaced highlighting a decades-old township ordinance that prohibits elected officials from being "interested" in the production or sale of alcohol. Martin, an elected supervisor, owns Soil Friends Hard Cider Co., which operates out of a farm at 1701 N. 33rd St. in Comstock Township.

During the heated board meeting, community members shouted and booed at the four board members who voted against Martin. Many residents claimed the move was an insult to small business owners and a violation of free enterprise principles.

"We took a different turn of direction and... we've lowered some costs," Martin said during the dispute. "That, I'm in favor of."

The board ultimately voted 4-2 to recommend the revocation of Martin's liquor license. The two dissenters supported Martin's right to operate his business.

The Recall Campaign Revived

Organizers of Four Recalls for a Better Comstock confirmed that all signatures collected in the November recall campaign against Beauchamp, Cherry, McIver and Pratt have since expired. Now the group is gathering a new round of signatures — this time driven by the liquor license dispute.

According to Michigan law, a valid recall petition must be approved before it can begin gathering signatures. Once the necessary amount of signatures are collected, the petition must be filed within a certain time frame. A successful petition triggers a recall election, in which the official who is up for recall runs against a candidate selected by the opposing party.

"The push to recall the four members who voted against Martin has ramped up again — with the 'Four Recalls for a Better Comstock' Facebook page now featuring messaging about the liquor license dispute as reasoning for the recall campaign," according to WMUK reporter Anna Spidel.

A successful petition would trigger recall elections for all four officials, who would then run in the same election as their opponents. Based on results, the officials would either be recalled and replaced, or they would retain their seats. The officials remain in office until the recall vote is decided.

The Ordinance Question

The core of the dispute centers on a 1983 township ordinance that says elected officials in Comstock Township cannot have any interest in alcohol manufacturing or sales. Martin, who operates Soil Friends Hard Cider Co., apparently violated this ordinance.

During the board meeting, fellow board members discussed whether Martin should resign, and ultimately voted to recommend the revocation of his liquor license in a 4-2 vote.

Additional Turmoil in Comstock

The recall push comes on top of other political turmoil in Comstock Township. Earlier this month, five of the nine volunteers on the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) board resigned, citing dysfunction with supervisor Ben Martin.

Martin, the township supervisor and DDA board liaison, was routinely absent from DDA meetings and did not collaborate with volunteer members, former DDA chair Sandra Katje said.

"After serving in the township for this long and learning how to operate with others as a board, even if you disagree, that takes a lot of time and communication," Katje said. "I feel like Ben Martin is very much lacking that."

Martin was not aware that several DDA members were planning to resign. They've made a spectacle of it, he said. He and the three other remaining DDA board members look forward to continuing the DDA's work.

Broader Context

The recall efforts represent a growing trend in Michigan local politics, where residents are increasingly taking matters into their own hands when they feel their elected representatives have lost touch or acted against their interests.

According to online political encyclopedia Ballotpedia, the nationwide success rate for recall efforts was around 10% in 2025. A successful petition triggers a recall election, in which the official who is up for recall runs against a candidate selected by the opposing party.

What's Next

The Four Recalls for a Better Comstock campaign must now gather a new round of valid signatures from eligible voters. Once sufficient signatures are collected, the petition must be approved and filed according to state law.

The township board members facing recall — Beauchamp, Cherry, McIver and Pratt — will need to respond to the renewed pressure. Martin, the supervisor at the center of the dispute, has faced ongoing criticism from residents regarding his liquor license business operations.

"Based on the results, the official is either recalled and replaced by their opponent, or they retain their seat," according to Michigan law.

The Comstock Township election calendar shows that all four officials are up for election in the fall, which complicates the recall timeline. Michigan law requires that recall elections occur during regular election cycles.

This developing story highlights the intense political dynamics playing out in Southwest Michigan communities, where local governance decisions can spark widespread community mobilization and legal challenges.