Prosecutor asks board to fund litigation after executive refuses to sign grant certifications

The Macomb County Prosecutor's Office asked the board to provide resources and authorization to pursue court action after repeated failures to secure the county executive's signature on required federal grant certifications, which the prosecutor's office says prevented submission of multiple grant applications.

"As a result, what I'm asking for is in both those agenda items 9 a and b, that the board provide me the resources necessary for me to get a court order for performance here," Prosecutor Peter Lucido told the committee, summarizing a series of missed grant deadlines and summarizing the office's view that the executive's non‑signature cost the county grant opportunities.

Grant writer David Fisher and Chief of Trials Shawn Hengenfeld described several high-value grant opportunities that could have supported domestic-violence services, opioid and justice‑reinvestment programs, and other initiatives. Hengenfeld said a domestic-violence grant application alone could have been worth "potentially a $1,500,000 grant had we been awarded it," and said the lack of certifications kept the prosecutor's office from submitting the application.

County Executive Mark Heckle responded that his signature is not ministerial and that he must review terms that could create legal or financial obligations: "My signature is not perfunctory. It's not something that's ministerial," he said, and he offered to hold open meetings with the prosecutor's office and commissioners to review grant specifics rather than default to litigation.

Committee members expressed concern and asked for legal counsel to help vet options. The committee voted to move the request to the full board for further review and counsel involvement.