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Mount Clemens City Commissioner Roxanne Brown speaks about a kratom regulation ordinance that was having its first reading at the commission’s March 2 meeting.
Photo by Dean Vaglia
MOUNT CLEMENS — Mount Clemens City Commissioners moved forward on regulation ordinances governing cryptocurrency and kratom at the board’s March 2 meeting, joining the city’s neighbors that have passed similar measures in recent years.
The first measure taken was the introduction of an ordinance to regulate “Virtual Currency Machines and related devices,” which was approved unanimously. The ordinance requires machine operators to register with the city, have a business license for it and to present the license when requested. Machines are required to display a customer service number and provide a notice before transactions stating the terms and conditions of the transaction, the amount of money and fees being paid by the customer, a warning that the transaction is final, a consumer fraud warning and the prior helpline number with a prompt to call said number if fraud is suspected during the transaction. Daily transaction logs must be kept.
New customers on the machine are limited to making transactions up to $1,000 within their first 24 hours of using the machine and no more than $5,000 in their first two weeks of using the machine. A verbal confirmation must be made for the first transaction if it exceeds $500.
The ordinance comes as scams utilizing cryptocurrency have become common and gained local attention in November 2025 when commissioners honored Kieara Searcy for her actions taken to stop a cryptocurrency machine scam happening in the city. Sterling Heights passed an ordinance regulating machines in December 2025. Both the Sterling Heights and Mount Clemens ordinances follow the lead of Grosse Pointe Farms, which passed its own ordinance regulating machines in July 2025.
Following the first reading of the cryptocurrency machine ordinance was the first reading of a kratom regulation ordinance. After discussing the matter in work sessions, and after Clinton Township passed kratom regulations earlier this year, the Mount Clemens ordinance limits the sale of kratom products to people who are 21 and older. Sellers are required to check IDs for purchases. The Macomb County Sheriff’s Office is tasked with enforcing the ordinance, which has a $500 civil infraction penalty for every violation.
Approved with unanimous support as well, many trustees expressed an appreciation for the awareness they gained about kratom during the discussion of the regulation.
“Since we first had the presentation, I’ve seen kratom stores everywhere and they’re in some municipalities where minors are not protected,” City Commissioner Roxanne Brown said.
City Commissioner Laura Fournier called upon the state to pass kratom regulations of its own, with Mayor Laura Kropp mentioning a bill that is currently being worked on. In the case where a state regulation would supersede the local one, City Attorney Rosemary Davis said the city could amend or repeal the ordinance.
Purchasing ordinance
Commissioners also approved an amendment to the city’s purchasing policy ordinance. The amendment changes the dollar amount of purchases that may be made in the open market without formal bids and City Commission approval, increasing it from $1,500 to $15,000.
“Back in 2021, administration at the time … felt that the $1,500 limit was way too low,” City Manager Gregg Shipman said. “It was actually costing the city money to go out to bid and (administration) wanted to raise it.”
The new limit was approved by the City Commission and voters in 2021. Shipman recently noticed the purchasing policy ordinance had not been updated to reflect the change five years later.
