Lapeer commission grants mayor authority to assign dais seating after heated debate; commissioner censured

LAPEER, Mich. — The Lapeer City Commission on Nov. 24 voted to give the mayor authority to assign commissioners’ seating on the dais, adopting the change as a new custom that requires assignments be posted at least 24 hours before meetings and allowing any commissioner to appeal a seating choice to the full commission by majority vote.

The decision followed more than two hours of debate over whether the mayor’s emailed request to move seats amounted to a permissible proposal or an improper directive. Commissioner Stephen Brady accused the mayor of exceeding his authority and said the mayor’s November emails and a subsequent memorandum violated the city charter’s restrictions on directing staff. "I would argue, mister mayor, that you violated the charter. 4.7 says you're not allowed to give directives to Ramona to move the chairs or to Mike to retract his memo," Brady said during the meeting.

Mayor Hing pushed back, saying his initial message was a proposed implementation rather than a directive. "The very first email, I read it. It was a proposed implementation. It was not a directive," the mayor said, according to the meeting record.

City Manager Womack told the commission he considers himself an employee of the commission, not the mayor, and that staff respond to the body’s collective direction. "I work for the commission. I don't work for the mayor," Womack said during the discussion.

The council’s debate centered on whether seating is an informal custom or a rule requiring a two-thirds vote to change. The city attorney’s written opinion, cited in the meeting, told commissioners that because no commission rule exists on seating procedure a majority vote is sufficient to modify custom; the chair characterized the adopted change as a new custom that could be changed at a future meeting by majority vote.

The meeting also produced a separate, contentious motion to censure Commissioner Brady for "dilatory behavior." After debate on whether censure constituted a punitive expulsion (which would require a two-thirds vote), a roll call recorded 'yes' votes from Commissioners Glissman, Petrie and McCarthy and 'no' votes from Commissioners Atwood and Brady; the chair announced the motion carried and stated Brady was censured from speaking for the remainder of the meeting but could remain and vote.

Commissioners then moved through mayoral and commission appointments. The commission confirmed at least one reappointment — Kathy Melrose to the board of review, term through Jan. 1, 2029 — after discussion about whether reappointments should routinely be vetted through interviews or rely on board recommendations.

During public comment, residents urged civility and quicker, more transparent meetings. "You have to know when it's time your guy didn't make it... it's time to get behind and everybody unite," one speaker told the commission.

The meeting ended with multiple commissioners apologizing to staff for the length and tone of the session and calling for more training on meeting procedure and parliamentary rules. The chair said he intends to enforce the charter, the commission’s rules and Robert’s Rules of Order more consistently moving forward. The commission set the next regular meeting for mid-December 2025.