Mount Clemens commission opens public hearing on proposed 2019–20 budget; resident raises FOIA and pay concerns

The Mount Clemens City Commission opened a public hearing to consider the proposed 2019–20 fiscal year budget and 2019 tax-year millage rates. City staff said the proposed citywide millage rate is 21.9573 mills and the Downtown Development Authority millage is 1.6101 mills.

The hearing drew public comment. Resident Gloria Howard told commissioners she opposed recent pay increases and questioned the process of appointing or extending the interim city manager, saying the compensation packages could have funded a different hire. Howard raised concerns about Freedom of Information Act requests to the clerk’s office, citing ‘‘15.233, section 3, para 1,’’ and said she had contacted the state attorney general’s open-division and planned to turn her complaints over to that office: "I let FOIA law slide. I had asked for something, and it was legitimate, and it was denied ... I'm turning both these over to the attorney general's office to make a complaint." The commission did not respond with a substantive rebuttal during the comment period; staff interrupted to note time limits.

Other members of the public used the hearing to raise unrelated items: George Kale asked for explanations about a rezoning matter affecting 142 Northbound Gratiot and questioned why certain ordinance language appeared in an April packet without being considered by the Planning Commission; Mike Zubis urged the city to study ranked-choice voting to increase turnout. City staff had earlier noted the public hearing was advertised on April 24, 2019.

After public comment the commission moved to close the hearing and took a roll-call vote to do so.

The commission did not adopt the budget at this meeting on the record in the transcript; the public hearing was closed for further consideration.