Clerk's Corner Newsletter
"December 2025"



on the road [ [link removed] ]
"ON THE ROAD
WITH TONY..."

Welcome to our December newsletter!

In last month's newsletter, we talked about when I took office back in January, 2021, how our aim was to set out with a list of goals to help improve service and perception of the Macomb County Clerk's Office.

So far, we've been able to eliminate daytime voice mail and have a live person answer the phone (in fact, a whopping 98 percent of our calls are handled by a knowledgeable live person), reduce wait times in any of our offices to under five minutes, enhance the property "Fraud Notify" alert system (a free service that was mostly unknown to our residents and now boasts over nearly 22,000 signups), and restore faith in our election systems by adding watermarked ballots, a groundbreaking "Historical Election Results" public access website and new enhanced protocols for future elections.

Another goal was to keep your records safe and accessible. Well, we're almost there, as a recent Detroit Free Press article shows, as we unveil a new state-of-the-art storage area.  Please see the excellent Free Press feature below, "*"Some of Macomb County's most vital records to get new home in 2026."*"

We hope everyone has a happy holiday season, a very Merry Christmas, and a safe and prosperous New Year!

And just sayin'... Do you think it's easy being Santa Claus? Check out our latest video [ [link removed] ].


Tony Signature

P.S. If you would prefer not to receive our newsletter you can easily opt out or if you know of anyone that should receive our newsletter feel free to share this with them.

CLICK HERE [ [link removed] ] to subscribe or opt out to this newsletter

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"I N   T H E   N E W S"
Detroit Free Press Logo
"Some of Macomb County's most vital records to get new home in 2026"

Clerk Forlini and Storage

*By Christina Hall*
"Detroit Free Press"

Macomb County's vital records and property deeds have been stored in several different places and not under ideal conditions for years.

That will change during the first quarter of 2026 when the documents, books and microfiche are moved into a centralized, climate-controlled, secure spot in Mount Clemens.

"*Macomb County Clerk/Register of Deeds Anthony Forlini shows off the new, climate-controlled space for records that his offices are required to keep in Mount Clemens on Oct. 30, 2025.*"



The project to house documents, such as birth and death records, property deeds and election record books, cost just over $1.1 million, according to county Board of Commissioners minutes from approvals in September 2024.

"We have records back to the 1800s that we need to keep," County Clerk/Register of Deeds Anthony Forlini told the Detroit Free Press during an October tour of the new space, empty at that time, which is in the same building as the county election department and circuit court probation.

The centralized spot comes 12 years after a 2013 fire at the old county administration building, which put into motion various construction projects across numerous buildings in the county's downtown Mount Clemens campus.

Since then, Forlini said, the documents have been scattered "all over the place" in crates without much organization or protection and in spaces that were not temperature controlled, even with plumbing and heating materials stored on top of them.

Clerk's Office Storage Units

"*The new, climate-controlled space in Mount Clemens
that will house records held by the Macomb County clerk
and register of deeds offices on Oct. 30, 2025.*"

Now, they will be housed on shelves of appropriate sizes, in units with moving doors that lock down. The room is temperature and humidity controlled, Forlini said, and has the appropriate fire suppression system in place so the records will not be destroyed by water.

Michael Grix, the county's chief election clerk, said the elections department has records dating to 1838. Some are in large, bound books with election results written in beautiful cursive.

One entry is a Board of Canvasser's statement of votes for and against authorizing county commissioners to loan $6,000 to build a county courthouse and jail in November 1839. The vote was 1,024 against the loan and 242 for the loan among the 1,266 voters in 13 townships.

(Today, the county is building a new $228 million Central Intake and Assessment Center at the jail complex in Mount Clemens, funded with federal, state and county dollars and without a tax increase to county residents or debt to the county.)

Old Voter Records

"*An old election record book held by the Macomb County
Clerk's Office in Mount Clemens on Oct. 30, 2025.*"

The county has 27 communities, and in the November 2025 general election there were 80,337 ballots cast and 409,387 registered voters, according to official election results, though not every community had a race or proposal on the ballot.

While records today often are digital and on microfiche, even stored in an additional out-of-state location, Forlini said there are still old books, and some paper items are still produced.

Grix said the election department's storage needs have changed with early absentee voting.

"We produce more records that have to be retained." He said a room his department is using for storage "used to be enough, but it's not anymore."

Clerk Forlini and Michael Grix

"*Macomb County Clerk/Register of Deeds Anthony Forlini, left, and Michael Grix, the county's chief election clerk, look at a book with old county election records in Mount Clemens on Oct. 30, 2025. The book and other records will be in a new, climate-controlled space.*"

Grix hopes to move his department's historical books and documents that aren't needed very often into the new space.

Forlini said Dec. 19 that the offices are in the process of going through the materials and moving them into their new home, a task that he expects to be done in the first quarter of the new year.

He said most of the records to be moved will be deeds and vital records. Election records will be moved into the location if space permits.

"Contact Christina Hall: [email protected]. Follow her on X: @challreporter."

"Support local journalism. Subscribe to the Free Press."

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"A R O U N D   T H E   C O U N T Y"

"Clerk Attends 2025 Macomb County 'State of the County' address"
State of the County

Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel delivered the 2025 “State of the County” address on Wednesday, Dec. 3 at the Macomb Center for the Performing Arts, celebrating the progress, pride, and shared success of the County. Clerk Forlini shown visiting with Stanley and Commissioner Sylvia Grot, Chesterfield Township Supervisor Brad Kersten and community advocate Felicia Johnson.

Click on this link to see the entire "State of the County" presentation... [link removed]

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"V I D E O   F E A T U R E"

"You Think It's Easy Being Santa?"

Santa Video Click Here [ [link removed] ]

You think it's easy being Santa? Check out Macomb County Clerk Forlini's latest video... and have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Just a reminder -- County Offices will be closed Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025 and Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025 for the Christmas holiday; and Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025 and Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026 for New Year's.

CLICK HERE [ [link removed] ] to play video

 



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"Clerk's Office Christmas Luncheon"
Clerk Hosts Christmas Party

Clerk Forlini sponsored and hosted the 2025 Clerk's Office Christmas Luncheon, which featured members of the hard-working Clerk's Office staff, many dignitaries from around the County, local government, supporters, prizes, and even a visit from Santa Claus!  Shown above (in the photo at right) are County Executive Mark Hackel, Santa Claus and Clerk Forlini.

Christmas Luncheon

The event also featured great food and wonderful music provided by the Jury Room staff!

Clerk's Office Luncheon Prize Winners

Come on down!  The Christmas Luncheon prize-winners show off their donated prize baskets.



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"S T A F F   F E A T U R E"

"Register of Deeds' Traci Thompson Retires"

Traci Thompson Retirement

Congratulations to Clerk's Office Register of Deeds clerk Traci Thompson, who recently retired after 25 years of service to the County.

Pictured are (from left to right) Clerk Forlini, Traci, and Macomb County Commissioner James Perna, who just happens to be Traci's father!



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"Jury Commission's Leo Lalonde, Benjamin Aloia Honored for 10 Years of Service to the County"
Jury Commission Service

Members of the Macomb County Jury Commission, Leo Lalonde and Benjamin Aloia, were recently honored for "10 years of dedicated service" to the County.  Pictured from left to right, Judge Denis Leduc (42-1 District Court Judge), Leo Lalonde, Clerk Forlini and Benjamin Aloia.

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macombgov.org/clerksoffice [ [link removed] ]




 

*"Contact the Clerk!"*

*direct line: 586-469-7939*

*email: [email protected] <[email protected]>*

*facebook.com/MacombCountyClerkRegisterOfDeeds*

 

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2022 Tony Forlini Photo




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