Washington Township is known for its quality schools, apple orchards, Stony Creek Metropark and the historic Octagon House.

But these days, the northwestern Macomb County community is gaining notoriety for political wars that center on bullying, rumors, harassment and infighting among elected officials and a three-community interlocal parks and recreation commission.

And that could spell trouble come the August primary election when its main funding source is up for renewal.

The controversy involves the Romeo-Washington-Bruce Parks & Rec Commission’s director and Washington Township Trustee Daniel Detkowski who serves on the panel.

Following numerous complaints from recreation employees, and the resignation of two commissioners, the commission will consider removing Detkowski next month.

“I never expected any of this to happen,” Clara Russell, the township’s longtime recreation director, said Thursday. “All I ever wanted to do was run this department and provide these communities with the best programs we could afford to.”

Russell — a one-time waitress who has worked in the department for 30 years, including the past 12 years as director — has found herself and her staff the targets of alleged harassment by Washington Township Trustee Detkowski.

Russell said she has endured what she describes as Detkowski’s criticism and bullying behavior over how the parks and rec department is run since 2022 and it only continues to increase. It finally got to the point where she has written — twice — to township leaders about his behavior, but problems persist.

Detkowski, who moved to Washington in 2011, says the brouhaha over his actions is nothing more than election year theatrics.

“It’s election season with everyone jockeying to make themselves look good,” he said. “I could care less about all that. I want to complete the task the best I can, that’s what the residents of this township expect of me.”

‘Done with Dan’

Russell said the trouble with Detkwoski has been going on since he became a member of the recreation commission. That’s when she began to contact township officials about removing him from the commission.

Russell said her research of the inter-local agreement binding Washington, Bruce Township and the Village of Romeo to the recreation commission states a member may be removed due to misfeasance, malfeasance or nonfeasance by a majority vote of each township board.

She has submitted video copies of commission meetings that she says demonstrates the “hostile environment” the trustee allegedly invokes, adding he repeatedly berates her for perceived shortcomings.

“I’m done with Dan,” Russell said. “I’ve never been treated more unprofessionally in my career. He has been continually degrading to myself and others.”

The two sides have been at odds over the parks & rec budget, payroll, master plan, resurfacing of the Community Center parking lot, and other day-to-day issues, as well as ones that extend beyond the recreation department.

The Macomb Daily has reviewed videotapes of recent board meetings as well memos from recreation employees and letters from residents who have complained about Detkowski’s behavior:

• For example, Bruce Township Supervisor Mike Fillbrook in 2022 sent an email to Bruce and Washington elected officials after receiving the initial complaint from Russell, the recreation director who labeled Detkowski’s “unacceptable” actions.

“These issues between Dan Detkowski and Parks and Rec have become personal, and his actions are creating a situation in which both Townships could possibly face legal action,” Fillbrook said in his letter. “Please give this request your upmost priority.”

• Resident Marty Hutnick wrote about Detkowski’s incessant name-calling led to some female members to resign from the Macomb Optimist Club.  He alleges Detkowski also harassed him at his house and place of business in Romeo, resulting in “slanderous” police reports being filed with the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office by the trustee.
• In October of 2023, Parks and Recreation Commission member Phyllis Zimmerman broke down in tears as she resigned from the commission over what she said was hostile treatment by Detkowski. “I have never been so rudely treated by a narcissist and misogynistic manner by Mr. Detkowski,” she said.
• Earlier this month, Tom Matthews — who once sought a seat on the parks panel — suggested Detkowski seek and receive professional psychological help.  “I think we should attempt to suggest to (Detkowski) that he be evaluated and seek professional help to be a better person, then we all win,” Matthews said.

Detkowski: ‘We need to do better’

But Dekowski’s allies say township Supervisor Sebastian “Sam” Previti shares some of the blame for the political quandary.

At last Thursday’s Washington board meeting, Cindy Knight resigned as commission treasurer, saying Previti’s “slanderous” social media posts over the Detkowski matter were negatively impacting her real estate business.

“I really had high hopes for parks and rec,” she told the Washington Township Board of Trustees. “However, it is difficult to serve on a board where the supervisor thinks he is in charge and has authority over our employees, of the board, and money.”

Knight told the Washington board that Previti had claimed in social media posts that she failed to show up at a recent recreation committee meeting in order to hold up a possible vote on Detkowski. She said she was ill.

“Those all were huge lies” that Previti shared with Knight’s real estate clientele, friends, family and co-workers, she said.

“It makes me look bad and extends to my clients,” said Knight in announcing her resignation.

Knight went on to say the township supervisor used “undue influence” in matters where he proposed to take $3.1 million out of the recreation budget for a new Washington Town Center and give parks and recreation a 99-year lease for the current township hall. As treasurer of the commission, Knight denied the fund had $3.1 million accrued.

Detkowski, an engineering estimator for the past 30 years, was elected in 2020 after serving on the Zoning Board of Appeals. According to his bio page on the township website, his qualifications include his problem solving, critical thinking, and logical reasoning in his business position.

He says Russell, the recreation director, hasn’t followed the master plan for recreation, adding his perceived brusqueness is simply a matter of him wanting to get right to the point of a topic.

He further states Rusell doesn’t respond to his question or requests for information about basic items, such as broken equipment.

“We need to do better,” Detkowski said of the parks and recreation commission. “As a commission member, we are overseers, we ask the questions and we expect answers. When he don’t get the answers, we ask why.

“In any government entity, you should have full transparency. You should never be roadblocked, because it’s taxpayer money. At the end of the day, it’s not about me, it’s not about Clara, and I’m sorry if you think it is. It’s about doing the right thing.”

Detkowski, who says he hasn’t yet decided on running for another four-year term, also has yet to also decide on whether the parks interlocal agreement should somehow be dissolved.

“The events, sometimes I question the amount, but when I look at broken down equipment or no pieces, I have to ask where are we spending our money. What do get for our money. Let’s give our residents what they expect,” he said.

How Detkowski came to be appointed to recreation commission

Romeo, Washington and Bruce townships are part of a shared joint operating agreement they say provides amenities at reduced costs.

In 2022, Trustee Cindy Olsen made a motion to remove Greg Brynaert as the Washington Township representative to the Parks and Recreation Commission, as well as township Supervisor Previti, who was his alternate. After that motion passed 5-2, Olsen nominated Detkowski to be the new township representative with her as the alternate. That motion passed 6-1.

The next year, Detkowski was the target of a recall effort that failed. Over 1,800 signatures were collected, but fell short of the 2,100 needed due to a 120-day notice.

Residents of three communities will vote this August on a 1-mill renewal to fund the recreation program.  Three-quarters of a mill go to the recreation department, with the remainder financing the Star Transportation community transportation program.

Previti said the joint hearing on whether to remove the commission member will require both boards to vote in a majority of vacating his seat.

“It will be an open forum with both board listening simultaneously to residents, staff, and board members’ concerns on Dan Detkwoski’s alleged behavior so both boards can make a decision that night to vote to either remove him or let him remain,” Previti said.

The hearing on whether to remove Detkowski from the parks & recreation commission will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 7. Both boards of Bruce and Washington townships will hold the hearing at Washington Township Municipal Hall, 57900 Van Dyke Avenue in Washington Township.