Sebastian Lucido, chief judge of the 41B District Court, speaks with the Mount Clemens City Commission about the court’s 2026 budget on Dec. 1.
By: Dean Vaglia | Mount Clemens-Clinton-Harrison Journal | Published December 4, 2025
MOUNT CLEMENS — City Commissioners began giving gifts early this season, as they opened up the month of December by granting their approval of the 41B District Court’s 2026 budget.
Passed unanimously at the Dec. 1 meeting, the court’s requested 2026 budget expects neutral revenues and appropriations of $6.79 million for the year, leading to a projected overall fund balance of $5.81 million. Each of the three communities served by the court are contributing to paying down the bond debt from the court’s creation, with Mount Clemens set to contribute $111,300 — an increase from its 2025 contribution of $104,650.
Chief Judge Sebastian Lucido, who spoke on behalf of the court, attributed local funding issues to decreased caseloads following the COVID-19 pandemic. He said that he has spoken with Macomb County Sheriff Anthony Wickersham and Clinton Township’s chiefs of police (including current Chief Preston Susalla) about getting caseloads back up. Commissioner Erik Rick asked about a higher spike in cases originating in Mount Clemens between 2023 and 2024 compared to Harrison Township and Clinton Township, though Lucido did not have an answer to that question.
Mount Clemens city commissioners expressed a desire to see the funding model of the court changed, matching sentiments held by Clinton Township’s trustees.
“(Tickets issued and court funding) shouldn’t be connected,” Mount Clemens City Commissioner Spencer Calhoun said. “I don’t think anyone wants that. (Writing more tickets) would make sense from a public safety standpoint, but… Trustee (Julie) Matuzak in Clinton Township said it best, that the system shouldn’t depend on us writing more tickets for people just so (the court) can have the staff that you need. That’s not right at all.”
Lucido provided some insight into how the state government is working on the court funding issue.
“There’s reform coming. The Legislature has to approve it,” Lucido said. “They’re trying to work out a formula for the whole state as to how much each community is going to have to contribute, and that’s not easy to do because there’s so many different states and different locations that have different budgets.”
Consumers Energy lease
Commissioners unanimously approved a $104,000 lease agreement with Consumers Energy, allowing the Jackson-based utility to use the parking lot at 135 North River Road as a laydown yard to support projects during the month of December. Consumers Energy will be charged $8,000 per month should it need to use the lot into the new year.
While the Mount Clemens Farmers Market’s operations would not be directly impacted during the original term of the lease — the market runs out of the lot between May and November — the subject of potentially moving the market from the North River Road lot to the downtown Roskopp Lot, located between Gratiot Avenue and Macomb Place, was discussed.
The city took no action on forcing the Farmers Market out of its preferred North River Road lot, though there was interest from commissioners about further discussion of a move downtown with the market’s operators.
City Manager Gregg Shipman was tasked with sorting out an aesthetic plan with Consumer’s Energy for the lot during the utility’s stay at the site. That came about after City Commissioner Roxanne Brown mentioned that the equipment would be “unsightly” from the road. Along with being beside North River Road, the lot is surrounded by residences to its east and west.
Beautification Committee membership increase
Trustees approved increasing the membership maximum of the Beautification Committee from seven to 14 members.
Sparked by an increase in community interest over the past few years, according to Shipman, the increase is the largest change in the committee’s maximum membership. The committee was established in 2000 with 13 maximum members, with decreases in 2007 and 2009 respectively reducing the maximum to nine and seven members. The resolution allows for the committee to operate with less than 14 members if ever needed.