The Mount Clemens City Commission poses for a photo with Local Treasure Award recipients John Emerson, in middle with glasses and blue shirt, and John Cline, in red shirt, on March 16.
By: Dean Vaglia | Mount Clemens-Clinton-Harrison Journal | Published March 23, 2026
MOUNT CLEMENS — The Mount Clemens City Commission honored two residents with Local Treasure awards at the start of its March 16 meeting.
Trustees gave the honors to John Cline and John Emerson, who were nominated for the award by their fellow Mount Clemens community members.
Cline was recognized for his volunteer work with the Mount Clemens Foundation and the Santa Parade, the Optimists Club, Mount Clemens Community Schools and other organizations aimed at helping local youths. Cline is also active with O.A.T.S., an Ortonville-based organization that provides therapy through interaction with horses.
“Besides being involved in many Mount Clemens organizations, John is always there for anyone who needs help,” said Mayor Laura Kropp, reading from Cline’s nomination letter. “Recently, he has been cleaning and taking care of a Mount Clemens resident’s home who is in assisted living, including organizing an estate sale. This person has no local family, but he has John. A few years ago, John organized a fundraiser for another Mount Clemens resident that was in cancer treatment to help pay for her bills because she could not work. There are numerous little things John does for so many people.”
Emerson was recognized for his community service around Mount Clemens. In the 1990s he established the Loretta Jean Emerson scholarship, which he has managed with his family. Emerson has received the National Council of Negro Women’s “Man of the Year” award. He has presented at the Mount Clemens Public Library on Black history and genealogy, was a contributing writer of a book about Mount Clemens history and has been a regular attendee of City Commission meetings.
“(Emerson’s) steady presence, engagement and influence makes him an invaluable asset to the city of Mount Clemens,” Kropp said, reading from Emerson’s nomination letter. “His many contributions have created a lasting legacy for the city and residents through service, leadership and generosity. He has made Mount Clemens a better place to live, learn, grow and remember.”
Assessing services proposal
Commissioners also approved extending the city’s contract with Assessment Administration Services, LLC for professional assessor services.
The contract, which is for two years at $99,480 per year, will see assessing staff in the city four days a week to supervise and maintain the assessment roll, conduct boards of review, perform fieldwork, process property transfers and exemptions, complete required analysis and represent the city in Michigan Tax Tribunal cases.
While some discussion was had among commissioners about staying with Assessment Administration Services, finding a new assessor or even hiring a full-time assessor, the cost of the former option was deemed too much to entertain.
“The problem is we’ve really never had enough work to have a full-time assessor,” City Manager Gregg Shipman said. “They would be a department head position, so we’ve usually contracted it out just for reduced cost. To hire an assessor nowadays — full time, full benefits — you’re probably looking at $180,000 minimum.”
The city has also worked with Assessment Administration Services for some time now and wanted to maintain the institutional knowledge within the company’s staff.