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41-B District Court budgets approved after judge warns of $104,000 shortfall
Summary
The commission approved amended 2024 and the 2025 budgets for the 41‑B District Court after Chief Judge Sebastian Lucido described a roughly $104,000 shortfall driven by lower ticketing and misdemeanor caseloads since COVID and urged support while state funding discussions continue.
The Mount Clemens City Commission voted to approve an amended 2024 budget and the 2025 budget for the 41‑B District Court after a presentation from the court's chief judge.
Judge Sebastian Lucido told the commission the court faces about a $104,000 shortfall largely tied to declines in citations and misdemeanor filings since the COVID‑19 pandemic. "Our misdemeanors are down 44%" and "our tickets are down 37%," Lucido said, describing how lower case volumes have reduced revenues that previously came from local fines and fees. He said the court has also reduced staff, noting "we laid off nine people since 2020," and that the court's funding mix leaves it dependent on local funding units, particularly Clinton Township.
Lucido said state leaders and the state court administrator's office have begun looking at shifting court funding to the state level to reduce reliance on fines. "They're leaning that way," he said, adding that state review teams would examine court finances.
Commissioners asked questions about the shortfall and whether increased enforcement would be advisable. Lucido cautioned that higher ticketing can produce public‑safety tradeoffs and said the court cannot directly control police enforcement levels; instead, he urged the commission to consider the budget request in the context of public safety and potential state funding changes.
After discussion the commission moved and carried the budget measures in separate votes. The commission completed a roll‑call vote and approved the amended 2024 budget and the 2025 budget for the 41‑B District Court as presented. The judge said the building's debt service will be paid off in roughly six years, which could allow the court to return funds to funding units in the future.
