Gieleghem, Torrice swap heated words

By Jameson Cook, Macomb Daily Staff Writer

County Commissioner Carey Torrice has threatened legal action against county board Chairman Paul Gieleghem following a heated verbal exchange between them over her commandeering and decorating a board office.Torrice’s attorney, Paul Zalewski, on Monday faxed a letter to county Corporate Counsel George Brumbaugh demanding Gieleghem apologize and retract his policy that allowed for the removal of movie posters from the office’s walls and entry into the locked office in the county Administration Building in downtown Mount Clemens.”This correspondence shall also serve as my client’s demand for Mr. Gieleghem to immediately cease and desist from further harassment towards Mrs. Torrice, and from engaging in other unlawful and tortuous conduct toward Mrs. Torrice,” Zalewski says in a faxed document obtained by The Macomb Daily.Torrice seeks compliance within seven days or she will “pursue legal action,” Zalewski said. Both are Clinton Township Democrats and could be candidates for the 10th District state Senate seat when it is up for election in 2010. Zalewski accuses Gieleghem of breaking the law and overstepping his authority as chairman. The chairman violated his client’s First Amendment rights, trespassed into her office and committed “conversion” of her personal property, he said. Zalewski says in the letter the chairman of the county board “has very limited authority which is expressed granted by statute.””Michigan law does not grant that chairperson the authority to arbitrarily impose policies or mandates against another board member,” he said.Gieleghem said late Thursday afternoon he has seen the letter but declined to comment on its specifics. He instead referred to the fact that county officials are wrestling with budget issues.”This is a very difficult economic time and there are a lot of really important decisions that have to be made,” he said. “That’s what I’m focusing my time on.” Torrice on Thursday night called Gieleghem a “tyrant” and “totally out of control.””(Threatening legal action) is the only way to get him to stop from being a bully,” she said. The saga began Wednesday, Sept. 23, when Gieleghem confronted Torrice over her taking over a ninth-floor office, and placing two movie posters and a mirror on the walls. The part-time actress and promoter of the state movie industry hung a sign in the window that said, “Commissioner/Actress Carey Torrice.”A shouting match ensued, including expletives that could be heard by employees and commissioners nearby. Gieleghem demanded she remove the posters. Later that day he issued a memo that said the several offices on the floor are available to all commissioners and should not be decorated with personal belongings that “diminish or compromise the professionalism of the board office.”Torrice said she locked the office, but two days later, county workers confiscated the posters and locked them away in a separate office. Torrice filed a police report, and the posters were returned. She had hung the posters of the “Legally Blonde 2” movie and a James Bond film on Tuesday, Sept. 22. She said the posters remain displayed.Torrice, chair of the Public Services Committee, said she should have her own office because the 11 committee chairs on the board have offices.Other commissioners have taken over offices and decorated them with personal items, she said. According to Zalewski, “Mrs. Torrice is the sole occupant of this private office and has a key that was issued to her.”There are a limited number of offices available to commissioners. Gieleghem and his vice chairwoman, Kathy Tocco, are the only commissioners with assigned offices.Macomb Daily staff writer Chad Selweski contributed to this report