Ludington City Council Meeting, July 14, 2025: Chris Cross, Hit the Sauce

[XLFD]

The agenda packet for the July 14th, 2025 meeting of the Ludington City Council showed the first readings of nine separate ordinances and not a lot of other business in front of the body.  Six of those would deal with tax levy and appropriation ordinances for a budget that has yet to be worked upon. Have you ever wondered how they could determine how much they needed to raise the tax rate they would need for next year without any work at all on the next year's budget?  Grand Rapids native Chris Nicholas (shown below) thought it was okay to have the levy cart before the budget horse, when he hijacked the meeting for about twenty minutes to blow his own horn right in your face twice, but more on that later.

 

Frankly, setting tax rates in summer was something that the city never did before 2010, the year after they hired the Gockerman, Saylor, and Wilson law firm from Manistee, a city where the budget, appropriations and levies are done in May because their fiscal year begins on July 1st, just like Scottville's, but unlike Ludington which runs with the calendar year.  This topic would be a major part of my first comment, but first I would address my choice of shirt for the night, because city officials thought my apparel was more important than following laws:

XLFD:  (9:50 in) "I ran into a prominent elected official from Mason County yesterday at a local store, the one year anniversary of the attempted Trump assassination in Butler, and they asked why I wasn't wearing the shirt, this shirt, that you have made so famous by irrationally decrying its message.  After telling them that I was saving the shirt for today's meeting, they revealed their credit card which had the same image upon it.  This is not an offensive or vulgar shirt, it celebrates a miracle, and I am particularly drawn to wearing this shirt here because this council in late 2023 decided to hold a deer cull, and while I was doing my part in spoiling illegally placed bait piles and chasing away deer from a 73-acre park during daylight, your contracted killers opened fire without clearing the area.  It was a miracle I wasn't shot, but the city wasn't through hunting me as they would show with an illegal letter of trespass and a malicious prosecution thereafter.  Your actions are vulgar and offensive.

But not limited to this.  Once again, you are set to raise the taxes on property owners by about $150,000 over what it would be if you didn't override Headlee by passing 2026 appropriation and revenue ordinances.  Our city charter indicates clearly that these are singularly adopted to implement the adopted budget for the upcoming year. 

Where is the 2026 Budget?  Show me your 2026 budget?!  There is no 2026 budget!  There is nothing more vulgar and offensive than city officials who will not follow the laws of their own city charter.  That's exactly why this council wanted to change the charter in 2022 but failed.  You hiked our taxes by 3/4 of a million dollars over the last three years, and each time you never had a reason for raising them because you had made no budget.

The most ignorant among you will lie and claim that you are not raising tax rates (a glance over to Councilor Winczewski).  If you actually, believe that dissociation from reality, then do nothing, let Headlee roll and don't steal $150,000 more from us taxpayers, your revenue will still go up with the rate of inflation. [END Comment]

If you're new to this website, please check out the links we provide to better understand what's up and why we are at odds with the very corrupt administration led by Mayor Mark Barnett and his compliant posse of backsliding officials.  If we do not speak out against bad policy and nonsense actions, we would join that group in spirit. 

The unnamed official I met at the store is part of one public body I have utmost respect for, because they are true to their oaths in their policies and actions.  Nothing like Ludington, where Winczewski would introduce the tax hiking ordinances by correcting me in saying that they would raise an additional $196,000 revenue rather than $150,000 next year.  In her spiel, this deranged woman couldn't yet admit that this money would come from Ludington taxpaying property owners, just that the revenue would somehow magically appear in the city corporate treasure chest.  And while her $196,000 figure comes from the memo the city clerk sent to the council found on p. 32 of the packet:

The actual numbers provided on the next page support my claim:

The difference between the tax revenues with or without a truth in taxation (TiT) hearing (red square minus yellow square) is approximately $149,000.  Where's the extra $47,000 coming from, Councilor Moonbeam, and why wasn't this discrepancy in figures caught by anyone else on the panel?  

They would set the next meeting for the TiT hearing, with one no vote from Councilor Mike Shaw, who ran against raising taxes last fall.  The term-limited Winczewski will likely be the only councilor to put her lame duck neck on the line to pass this latest unlawful tax hike.  She would later tell us that the invasive plant species treatments some properties will receive are 'free', although it was already paid for by the city.

I wasn't the only one to speak.  Warren Stowe spoke topically about recent changes to the parking down at the end of Loomis Street, making a good case for providing fisherfolk closer access to the fish cleaning station.  With minimal canoodling, the LT was able to procure the comments of the two other speakers, and they are included here in their entirety to make a point for later.  First, Jefferson Henry:

New allegations about the City's complicity in various marina schemes based on an expanding base of public records recently unearthed from 30 years ago to support a strengthened legal effort by Henry and Karboske to get to the bottom of it all.  While Karboske could not make this meeting, council regular Daniel Jensen advanced and emphasized more points:

These comments are literally dynamite, and the council's reaction is to ignore the explosions and flying debris landing all around their dais, saying nothing and doing nothing about the walls falling down all around them.  The saddest thing is that the city and state worked so hard and so deceptively to get Ludington these two public marinas and the numbers don't lie.  In over 50 years of marina management (45 for LMM, 6 for HVM), the City has went many, many millions of dollars into debt, saved only through state and federal subsidization through grants and tax relief that cannot be realized by private marinas.  The Michigan model for public marina enterprises simply doesn't work in the real world if the intent is to stay above water.

Chris Nicholas, of Grand Rapids' ran radio station WMOM, then gave a long-winded overview of this year's Gus Macker Tournament that lasted about 17 minutes.  In his self-aggrandizing address, he said the tourney was a great success, and yet he would bemoan that he would suffer a loss of $15,000 for his efforts.  For his sacrifice, he was happy to report that community businesses reaped millions from the 774 teams who came to town to play basketball. 

In our city's own press releases about GM, they say "in the 28 years of Macker in Ludington, over $300,000 has been returned to the area’s schools to purchase uniforms and equipment."  Even in COVID-muted GM Tourneys, they would get over $15K in profits that they would donate to multiple charities.  If he is now calling $15K in losses a 'success', one should wonder how come. 

Reliable sources have told me that his split with Dr. Riemer after last year's 'successful' tournament was due to the good St. Nicholas taking liberally from the good doctor's money-filled stockings for questionable purposes.  One should view Chris Nicholas' admission of indebtedness as an attempt by him to avoid giving out event profits to the charities that have been supported in the past by the event.  One would presume that in the time allotted for his presentation that he would mention any donation the Ludington GM made this year at least once, but one heard nothing.  Telling the council that he lost money had the dual purpose of making city leaders more likely to offer their own future services at discounted rates in future Mackers.

We were told a gazebo would soon be under construction out at Cartier Park, one donated by some anonymous source (likely from another city fund or an overage of their campground bathhouse constructions, if their past record is taken into account).  Councilor Cheri Stibitz would then try to quash a city-advocates-drinking myth by making a point that there were only 5 drinking events through most years-- before introducing another one taking place at the Ludington Bay Brewery on August 29th.

Two more 5-1 votes would take place, with Councilor Tim Large voting against two proposals taking place in his ward in a losing cause.  Becka's Bodyworks wanted to offer massages at Waterfront Park for each Tuesday in August from about 10 AM to 5 PM.  Harborfit Studio wanted early morning workouts (7-8 AM) each Saturday through the end of August at Heritage Park (the West End Slab).  Large was worried that they may be opening up a can of worms for businesses wanting to use city parks; he may be right, but there is nothing in city law that prohibits such usage, only a process that allows city permission for such use.

The three other first readings of ordinances pertained to the city acting as fiduciary for federal funds/grants issued to Marquette Rail LLC and to effectively convert the use of land owned by Morris Street LLC (John and Anita Wilson) behind downtown Wesco from parking to residential use, as the county's land bank hopes to acquire the land for more housing.

Before they would go into closed session for the expressed purpose of considering the purchase of still-unknown property, they allowed for more public comment.  Jeff Henry would state his case simply:  "The harbor wasn’t broken in 1995. But you broke it trying to take over. This isn’t just about us anymore. It’s about every taxpayer, every private dock owner, and every person pushed off that shoreline.  You’ve been warned. We’re not going away."  Daniel Jensen would follow with a similar caveat:  " The federal agencies are watching now. They’re reading every grant, every photo, every memo. What happens next — that’s up to you. But if you think we’re backing down, you haven’t been paying attention."  I followed:

XLFD:  "I have one big beautiful booklet titled "Public Rights to Fish and Hunt On Lakes and Streams" drafted by Chris Bzdoc, you may notice he is one of the partners in the city's law firm, unlike Rosss, and also unlike Rosss he offers great legal advice fully annotated on 28 pages with law and precedents on the rights of the public to fish on public waters.   I noticed lots of signs at the city marina, recently erected that supposedly prohibits fishing.  They don't according to Ross' boss, and even your own city code.  Take them down immediately and advise your marina manager of his unlawful act.  Let our people fish.

I hope one of you can answer as to why my tax dollars are used to subsidize fish cleaning.  You buy services and equipment from Huron Tackle for hefty prices, and then do nothing to get revenue from those who use the services and equipment.  Ray and Jeff have explained how they used to get back their money from offering these services at a cost per fish, until the city muscled in and started offering the services for free, ruining that market.  Rescue us taxpayers from subsidizing this idiocy; it's simple, adopt user fees.  

Lastly, why isn't the city publicly indicating what property they have interest in for the second time in as many closed sessions?  I know you all embrace non-transparency, but will you come out of closed session and agree to purchase property and still try to keep the public, who supplies the cash, in the dark?  Wouldn't surprise me. [END comment]

I sell firewood at multiple locations during the tourist season, and I keep my prices low at $2.50 a bundle.  If the government started selling firewood of similar quality for free at places nearby, funded inefficiently by the taxpayers at great expense, I would not be able to compete.  This is what's happening with local fish cleaning and gut removal.  In a way it shows what's happening to private marinas when public marinas move in and don't have to worry about recouping their costs of operation or making profits.

I am currently trying to get the state involved to take down the "No Fishing" signs illegally placed at the city marina with help from the state.  If they cannot be bothered with quashing this unlawful behavior, I will be seeking other means, likely through civil disobedience.  This city council is so lawless, they will do nothing even though their power was usurped by Marina Manager Christensen.

Then came Chris again and in his two minutes.  This Grand Rapids native who went out of his way earlier to claim "Ich Bin Ein Ludingtoner", went after every Ludington citizen who would dare not make a positive comment, let's see what he said in his own words:

Chris Nicholas: (1:36:50) "I won't talk as long as I did earlier.  (council laughter) I can read your expressions (more laughs).  But I will say this.  Observing city council meetings here, I understand that you go through a lot.  Actually, when you observe from outside, like I am.  And so I'm not going to say that you shouldn't hear the tough parts of comments before the meetings or after the meetings, but I will say this.  Is that, no matter what is said, (fixes his stare at me at this point, only dropping stare at the end of this sentence, when I point to the mayor reminding him that he is supposed to address the chair) or chuckled, or under breath, or anything like that, you are doing a good job.  At least from an outsider's perspective. 

There's always going to be politics, there's always going to be disgust, there's always going to be rude people, there's always going to be trolls, there's always going to be all of that.  But I will tell you, from somebody that lives outside of the city, I just want to be able to see that Ludington is a place that is welcoming to people that are outside of the city.  And sometimes it just doesn't feel that way when you have people that are beating up on people constantly. 

And so I would love to see these chairs filled with positive people too, just as much as the negative-- and I know that's hard to have and I see that.  But I want to leave here, and I go back to Grand Rapids that Ludington is where I am at once or twice a week, but people don't realize I'm up here, but I'm here, and I have three staff members who work here, so this community is still home to me, as well.  So thank you for all you do, and I hope that's something that could be shared tonight with you. (timer rings)

Nicholas is so out of it that he becomes what he detests, a person beating up on other people, calling citizens rude, trolls, and inferring much else, while self-righteously claiming that he is the sole voice for people that live outside Ludington.  This is why he was kicked out of town by not only his well-regarded landlord, but also by a host of others owed money or favors by Chris Nicholas.  

He heard from several people that addressed Ludington's public policies and actions, and rather than comment on those or other public concern, positively or negatively, which is what most citizens and guests do, he offers his own self-centered take on what's going on, directing his unwarranted venom on us Ludington citizens who actually live here rather than unlawfully claiming on your website and public file that you still operate out of here and infer three full-time WMOM staff members are working here.

It's too bad Chris Nicholas doesn't live or work here and serve as a public official.  He has all of the qualities of our current elected officials:  the ability to eloquently lie, juggle numbers to the point to where they are meaningless, and insult the taxpayers, taking all they can from them and claiming indigency.