City Commission Regular Meeting – May 19, 2026

The Grand Rapids City Commission met on May 19, 2026, to adopt the Fiscal Year 2027 budget and related ordinances. The meeting included public comment on traffic safety, transit funding, and budget priorities, followed by commissioner discussion and unanimous votes.

Consent Calendar

• Approved minutes from previous meetings (motion carried unanimously).
• Approved the consent agenda (items passed unanimously out of committee and not pulled for discussion) (motion carried unanimously).
• Received and filed multiple communications: from Julia Irvin regarding Dash adjustments; from the public urging support for Kalamazoo Avenue safety funding; from Rebecca Bruis appealing fee assessment for foral request PD 2026-808; from the Grand Rapids Chamber and the South Down Corridor Improvement Authority commenting on the FY 2027 budget.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Debbie Dynan (Oakdale Park Church, Together West Michigan) thanked commissioners for including $600,000 in the budget for Kalamazoo traffic safety, but expressed concern that a planned crosstown bike trail signal at Griggs could consume all those funds, leaving no money for Adams and Hancock intersections. She requested a crossing guard at Griggs, not a full signal.
• Mark (Grand Rapids) criticized budget amendments for repeatedly adding money for police, courts, and corporate interests while cutting Dash transit service. He argued the city could raise revenue by ticketing loading‑zone violators at night, citing a former police chief's estimate that one night of ticketing in the arena district could pay a month of his salary. He urged the commission to stop “regression of transit.”
• Mark (returning to podium) suggested using roundabouts on Kalamazoo at Adams and Griggs as cheaper and safer alternatives to traffic signals.
• Russell Omstead (First Ward) expressed frustration that the budget passed without full representation from his ward (the First Ward commissioner seat is vacant). He asked that commissioners break the impasse on filling the seat, endorsing Kurt Raphard as a short‑term appointee with no future political ambitions. He also asked what happens to the vacant commissioner's salary.
• Mark (again) warned against building data centers, claiming they consume excessive water and hurt residents, citing examples in Georgia. He urged citizens to register and vote.
• Santiago (Northeast Side) invited the public to a non‑partisan brunch for politically engaged young people on May 24, 2026, at The Muse (727 Leonard) from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., featuring food, drinks, and presentations on financial equity and community power.
• Shannon (Third Ward) urged the commission to plan for increased spending on public transit in the FY 2028 budget, emphasizing that good transit requires both coverage and frequency. She also recommended funding co‑responders and mental health professionals rather than increasing police officers, and advocated for more affordable housing.
• Lucas criticized the budget for guaranteeing a minimum funding slice for police under the city charter while other essential services like parks, fire, and transit do not have such guarantees. He called this “sick, backward, misguided” and urged a charter revision.

Discussion Items

• Budget Adoption (FY 2027): Commissioner Asasi presented the budget ordinance, noting it was first presented April 28, with a work session May 5 and a public hearing May 12. Total appropriations: approximately $786,039,409. The millage rate decrease of 0.1076 mills brought the total city levy to 8.7511 mills. Discussion included: support for a contractual communications pilot (outside support for social media and communications) and a desire to rework an administrative support pilot to be more equitable. Commissioners praised staff for keeping water/sewer rate increases sub‑inflationary, for the property tax millage rate decrease, for a $7 million transfer to the budget stabilization fund (raising it above 12% of expenditures), and for continued investments in housing, infrastructure, public safety, and the Third Ward Equity Fund.
• Budget Amendment No. 7 (FY 2026): Commissioner Belchak highlighted 18 items, including $5.3 million from Corewell Health for Lefingwell Avenue reconstruction, $6.7 million for debt service on amphitheater/soccer stadium bonds (paid from the hotel/motel tax), and the $7 million budget stabilization fund transfer.

Key Outcomes

• Adopted Ordinance for FY 2027 budget (roll call vote: 7-0, with immediate effect).
• Adopted Budget Amendment No. 7 for FY 2026 (roll call vote: 7-0, with immediate effect).
• Both votes were unanimous.
• City Manager noted the budget funds all collectively bargained agreements for their second year, sustains capital project debt service (amphitheater, soccer stadium, fire station, MLK Park Lodge), and continues park and trail investments.
• Mayor LeGrand highlighted that water/sewer rate increases were below inflation and that the millage rate was reduced due to higher property values.
• City Manager announced the police chief search: position closes first week of June; interviews scheduled June 17; final candidate selected in July.