3/28/25 the city of Howell sends sage a letter

“We are writing to address the statement presented by your group at our city council meeting on Monday night. 

First, we want to thank you for joining us. As we hope you are aware, our goal as a council is to 

collaborate with city staff, residents, and community organizations, including SAGE, to ensure a safe and secure environment. Every day, our public safety team works to ensure people feel safe and that any security concerns are addressed in a just and timely manner. 

We have listened to your concerns regarding the city manager and chief of police. While we understand that members of the SAGE organization felt like we were denouncing their group, our press release toward SAGE was intended to address the actions taken during a recent event, which made the delivery of public safety services challenging. 

While we share your desire to provide a safe environment for your members, those actions jeopardized not only the safety of SAGE members but also the well-being of the public and the individuals you invited to attend. Ensuring the safety and security of everyone involved is paramount, and we believe that a more thoughtful and professional approach would have better mitigated these risks. 

Additionally, while our statement conveyed our perspective on the actions of your members, we recognize that it could have been presented in a more polished and effective manner to foster constructive dialogue. Moving forward, we will strive to represent the city's positions in the clearest and most professional manner possible. 

That said, our statement clearly and unequivocally denounced all hate groups, particularly WLM. Their actions and values directly contradict the principles of inclusivity, safety, and respect that our community upholds. 

We also want to address several demands that your organization submitted to the city of Howell via email. We have reviewed these and compiled a list of requests that we would like to share with you. 

1. We firmly request an end to the calls for the firing and public shaming of our city manager. These unfounded accusations are profoundly unfair and do not reflect the truth of his character or contributions to the city of Howell. The city manager has consistently demonstrated his unwavering commitment to the well-being and vibrancy of our 

community. He is not a racist, and his efforts include supporting local diversity initiatives, fostering inclusivity, and enhancing the quality of life in our city. These things speak volumes about his dedication and integrity. It is essential that we focus on constructive collaboration rather than perpetuating baseless claims that only serve to divide. 

2. We also ask for an end to the labeling of our city as racist. It is neither fair nor constructive to define an entire community based on the actions of a few who have used our city, among others in Michigan, as a gathering point. The vast majority of our city residents deserve better than to be labeled in a divisive manner. Such broad accusations and 

generalizations only create further division and intentionally place our community in an unjustly negative light. It is essential to acknowledge that the WLM movement has had the same presence in numerous other communities across Michigan, including Ann Arbor, Plymouth, Oakland, Wayne, and Washtenaw counties. If we want to end their abuse of Howell, we need SAGE to stop marginalizing the good people of Howell by focusing its efforts on unity and collaboration to ensure the values of inclusion and respect are upheld in every part of our community. 

3. We encourage your group to collaborate closely with our local police department and city administrators when planning and hosting events. Their expertise and resources can help ensure that these gatherings are safe, well-organized, and inclusive for all participants. Additionally, we have established strong relationships with the Livingston Diversity Council and PRIDE Alliance, which have successfully coordinated similar events in the past. 

Like them, we believe our input and insight could provide valuable guidance in making your events both impactful and secure. The police department is the first accredited agency in our county and continues to operate in accordance with the best practices recommended by the Michigan Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission. This has been demonstrated by a recent visit from Attorney General Dana Nessel, during which she presented the department and the accreditation manager with the Above and Beyond Excellence Award for their professionalism in operations, policies, and procedures. 

Like you, we remain committed to fostering a safe and welcoming environment for all members of our community, and we look forward to working constructively with your group to uphold this commitment. 

This will be our final statement regarding this topic, revolving around the events that occurred on February 6, 2025. Any further communications will be handled through the administrative process in a meeting with leadership from both groups. If you have any questions or would like to discuss this matter further, please do not hesitate to contact us. 

Thank you for your attention to this important issue. 

Sincerely, Mayor Robert Ellis”