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INSIDE/3A NORTH MACOMB COUNTY FOOTBALL PREVIEW
AUGUST 23, 2023 • Vol. 35, No. 18
HISTORIC MACOMB COUNTY BUILDING STILL IN USE 10 YEARS AFTER FIRE BY DEAN VAGLIA dvaglia@candgnews.com
BY BRENDAN LOSINSKI
blosinski@candgnews.com
FRASER — Fraser residents went to the polls on Aug. 8 and decided not to pass a bond measure that would have allowed the city to levy a millage collection to improve local roads. The measure was voted down with 1,339 voters selecting “no” and 836 voters selecting “yes.” This was a margin of 61.6% to 38.4% of 2,185 residents who voted on the issue. The bond would have allowed the city to borrow a sum not to exceed $15 million. It would have been levied to pay specifically for this bond, to be paid back within 12 years. The millage was estimated to be levied at 1.3058 mills, which is just under $1.31 per every $1,000 of taxable property value. According to the language on the ballot, the bond was to be used for the “cost of acquiring and constructing street improvements throughout the city, consisting of paving, repaving, reconstructing and improving streets, including all necessary appurtenances and attachments.” “The people have spoken and we will abide by their decision,” Fraser Mayor Michael Carnegie said in an email. “I believe we should have educated the voters more on the importance of having good roads and updated infrastructure. It’s something that future councils can bring forward to the people again.” He added that while he understands how difficult additional taxes can be, this will seriously hamper the city’s ability to address road issues in Fraser. See BOND on page 18A
File photo by Deb Jacques
The old Macomb County Building stands at 10 North Main Street in Mount Clemens. Originally built as a new county courthouse, it has been home to the Friend of the Court custody program since reopening in 2016.
MACOMB COUNTY — After 90 years and a fire, it seems nothing can topple the old Macomb County Building. Overlooking the Clinton River, the building is a centerpiece of the Mount Clemens skyline. The art deco architecture sets it apart from its neighbors in the stone courthouse and glass-sided county administration building, but the faces along the roof speak little of the old building’s turbulent creation or its long-standing role in Macomb County’s legal system. Opened on June 5, 1933, the County Building has its origins in the county’s need for a new courthouse a decade prior. Built by St. Clair Shores architect George Haas for $700,000 as a replacement for the county courthouse, its creation was not without controversy. The county ran out of money during the project — which was already $155,000 over its budgeted cost of $545,000 — causing county employees to go weeks without pay while the county “existed on loans and began issuing script to employees and vendors,” according to a history of the building by historian Cynthia Donahue. During construction, the building went 18 months without a roof and only the lowest four floors were completed when it opened. The rest of the interior was finished on a “room by room” basis. From opening day, the building housed Macomb County’s court until the See BUILDING on page 19A
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0160-2332
Fraser residents vote ‘no’ on streets bond