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Lapeer City Commission Meeting was Confrontational on Monday
Mary Drier/Mike Kaufman
Wed, 03 Dec 2025 21:35:24 EST
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The confrontational tone that started at the November meeting when two new members took their seats on the Lapeer City Commission continued at Monday's five hour meeting.
The issue that ignited the contention was when newly seated city Mayor Jeramy Hing made a motion at last month's meeting to postpone approving some issues on the agenda because he and newly seated Commissioner Lynne McCarthy needed time to familiarize themselves with decisions made before they were seated.
Manager Mike Womack pointed out that it was irregular to have a mayor make motions.
Then at Monday's meeting, Hing wanted to assign commissioners to a seating pattern that started a lively discussion, which became a verbal confrontation with a commissioner being censored.
During the meeting, Hing banged his gavel several times to stop discussions and control the meeting.
Commissioner Stefan Brady expressed his opinion on that issue of authority, seating, and some others.
Squabbling continued on if a mayor can make motions or not, if a mayor only votes to break a tie vote, and if a mayor can assign seats.
During the meeting, Hing stopped recognizing Brady when he wanted to speak. That evolved into Brady being censured by a majority of the members because he kept wanting to be recognized to speak which was viewed by some as being argumentative.
Brady, who is a veteran commission member, told Hing he is trying to rewrite how the commission operates and procedures.
Decorum did not prevail during most of the meeting with verbal barbs.
During discussion, McCarthy asked Brady if he got slapped a lot as a child, but Hing stepped in saying such remarks are unprofessional. She did apologize.
After the vote was taken to censure Brady, he left the room, but returned a short time later.
Hing directed that Brady was not to talk for the remainder of the meeting, but Brady was allowed to interact with some with the other commissioners.
During the meeting, Brady alleged that Hing, McCarthy, and Melissa Petrie have an agenda.
