Kropp, incumbent commissioners survive challengers

MOUNT CLEMENS — Voters in Mount Clemens stuck with what they knew on Election Day 2025, voting to keep incumbents in office based on unofficial results of the Nov. 4 election.

Laura Kropp retained her position as mayor in the most decisive race of the night, winning the mayor’s race with 1,684 votes (64.72%) over challenger Rhonda Powell’s 899 votes (34.55%) for a third two-year term as mayor.

“I am so pleased that the residents of Mount Clemens really feel that they are on board with the mission that we have and the direction that the city is going,” Kropp said. “I feel like it was an overwhelming response to what we’ve been doing, and also that they elected both Laura Fournier and Erik (Rick). We are a team and we’re moving the city forward. I feel like that was just a resounding message to the community.”

In the City Commission election, incumbents Fournier and Erik Rick had the best showing of the five-candidate race for the three contested seats. Fournier claimed 1,513 votes (25.09%) with top showings in Precincts 2-4 while Rick claimed 1,426 votes (23.64%) and had the best showing in Precinct 5.

“I’m happy and reassured that voters seem to believe we’re going in the right direction and we’re making progress,” Rick said. “We can always do stuff better, but I strongly believe we have been making a lot of progress, and I’m glad that we’ll be able to continue in the same direction. We’ve just got to make sure that we keep getting better at it.”

Roxanne Brown claimed the final of the four-year city commissioner terms, securing 1,195 votes (19.81%) with the top showings in Precinct 1 and Precinct 6. Brown, however, was not pleased with the overall results.

“I don’t consider this a real victory because the slate that I ran with included Rhonda Powell, and Rhonda Powell is the person who has the vision for Mount Clemens that would result in a city that is more livable for all of the people here,” Brown said. “We have a very elitist government as it stands now that wants to develop the riverfront with luxury condominiums and restaurants for boaters. But when you talk to them about the unanswered calls to City Hall from seniors who don’t understand their water bills and don’t understand the new app … and people whose basements have flooded and people who are wondering why they got no response when they called, that’s not a high priority. People are shut down during public comments at City Hall. That’s not an accessible government, and that’s not part of the agenda and platform that Rhonda Powell and I were running under.”

Brown and Powell made reference to negative campaign mailers produced by a company out of Lansing, alleging that the mailers were involved with the Kropp campaign.

Kropp has denied any involvement with the mailers.

“I do think that … it’s undeniable that the smear campaign, I think, made a difference in this,” Powell said. “But to me, people should be willing to live and govern according to their campaign, because you set a new standard and we’re going to hold you to that standard now … We believe we know who’s behind it and I think that the mayor mentioned a few times it wasn’t part of her campaign, but it was.”

Kropp, Rick and Fournier expressed openness to Brown joining the Mount Clemens City Commission and believed the newest commissioner will be able to work with the existing slate.

“Anyone who wants to care about this community and come on board to move our city forward, I will work with, and I look forward to that,” Kropp said.

Fournier believed there would be no other way to have a city government than cooperation between commissioners.

“It’s the only way we’re going to move this city forward,” Fournier said. “We have a good group now and I’m sure Roxanne will become part of it, and we will all be a good team as we go forward.”

Rick was positive about Brown, who comes to the City Commission with Mount Clemens Planning Commission experience.

“That’s where Laura Fournier came from (and) that’s where I came from,” Rick said. “It’s a good pipeline because it gives people a broader understanding of municipal issues. Coming with that background, plus her close ties to the community, she’ll be an important voice on the commission and I’m glad she’ll be joining us.”

With Brown securing the final commissioner position, Ronald Campbell’s return to the City Commission failed with 997 votes (16.53%) alongside Paul Friedmann, who secured 883 votes (14.64%).

According to Macomb County’s unofficial results, 80,309 ballots were cast out of Mount Clemens’ 409,387 registered voters, amounting to a 19.62% turnout rate.