At a meeting on March 24, Comstock Township trustees voted four to two in favor of recommending that the state not renew supervisor Ben Martin’s liquor license for his business Soil Friends, a farm stand that makes and sells hard cider.
That’s based on a decades-old township ordinance that prohibits elected officials from being "interested" in the production or sale of "alcoholic liquor."
The Board of Trustees does not have the authority to rescind a liquor license — that power belongs to the Michigan Liquor Control Commission. Instead, the board voted to recommend that the commission decline the renewal of Martin's license.
MLCC spokesperson David Martin confirmed Supervisor Ben Martin's license was renewed earlier in the month, and said the commission needs to receive a formal complaint to review the status or a license.
Once that is received, the commission can evaluate whether due process was achieved and if the evidence is strong enough to rescind the license. However, the commission spokesperson said it has not yet received any documentation from the township or any other source.
During the meeting, many community members came to show support for Martin, with several booing the trustees who voted in favor of rescinding the license.
