More on the 2022 Grand Rapids City Budget: Unelected groups use millions of public funds for development projects in Grand Rapids

This is our latest installment of The Devil is in the Details, which takes a critical look at Grand Rapids politics and policies, based primarily on the public record, such as committee agendas and minutes. In this installment we look at the proposed 2022 budgets for numerous committee that operate in Grand Rapids, all of which have development as a primary focus.

There has been a great deal of interest generated around the overall 2022 City Budget, primarily because of how much the GRPD continues to receive, but also because of how undemocratic the process for public involvement is in determining how public tax dollars are spent.

The same could be said for all of the upcoming votes on 2022 Budgets for committees that all have Board of Directors, but no elections. The entities we wish to take a look at are the Downtown Development Authority (DDA), the Brownfield Development Authority, the SmartZone Local Finance Development Authority, the Economic Development Corporation, Southtown CIA, Westside CIA, Uptown CIA, Uptown BID, Michigan Street CIA, South Division/Grandville CIA and North Quarter CIA.

Yesterday, during the Committee of the Whole meeting, City officials were discussing the various budgets for the entities listed above, as reflected in the Agenda Packet linked here.

What is clear to this writer is the fact that the bulk of the public money that these committees are using is 1) for development projects, generally to subsidize a private contractor/developer; 2) that all of those who sit on the board of directors of these committees are appointed and not elected; and 3) the overwhelming representation on these boards of directors are from the business sector, often business owners in the city that will likely benefit from the improvement/development projects they will be making decisions on.

Below is the list of the various entities that will be receiving funding from the 2022 Grand Rapids City Budget. Collectively, these groups are asking for $42,826,282 of mostly public money to be used primarily for development projects that many residents are unaware of. Now, there are plenty of people who say that this is how things get done, which is true on one level, but an alternative way of looking at this is how else might nearly $43 million be spent, especially if the public was allowed to have a say crafting these decisions? What would be fundamentally different if the budgeting process was participatory and democratic? How could the public radically imagine that $43 million would be spent in this community? How would participatory budgeting transform not only the process by which decisions are made in this city, think of how differently the funding priorities might be.

The proposed 2022 Budget for the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) is $21,724,900. 

DDA Board of Directors

Richard Winn – AHC Hospitality (DeVos-owned)

Mayor Rosalynn Bliss

Luis Avila – Varnum Law

Kayem Dunn – Consultant

Jermale Eddie – Malamiah Juice Bar

Greg McNeilly – Windquest Group (DeVos-owned)

Jim Talen – former Kent County Commissioner

Diana Sieger – Grand Rapids Community Foundation

Jen Schottke – ABC Western Michigan

The proposed 2022 Budget for the Brownfield Development Authority is $15,722,514. 

BDA Board of Directors

Guillermo Cisneros – West Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

Lynn Rabaut – retired

Kristine Bersche – Natura Architectural Consulting LLC

Troy Butler – Thacker Sleight

Nathaniel Moody – City Commissioner

Kim McLaughlin – Wolverine Building Group

Micah Perkins – Retirement Services Officer US Army

John VanFossen – Meijer

Joshua Verhulst – Tech Defenders

Stanley Wisniski – 

The proposed 2022 Budget for the SmartZone Local Finance Development Authority is $3,317,800. 

SmartZone LFDA Board of Directors

Wayman Britt – Kent County Administrator

Keith Brophy – Emergent Holdings Inc.

Gerald Callahan – Van Andel Institute

Lisa Freiburger – GRCC

Kristian Grant – GRPS

John Helmholt – GRPS

Joe Jones – City Commissioner

Jerry Kooiman – MSU

Mark Holzbach – Tiny World Tours

Therese Thill – The Right Place Inc

Dante Villarreal – GR Chamber of Commerce

The proposed 2022 Budget for the Economic Development Corporation is $122,956.

Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors is the same as the Brownfield Development Authority. 

Guillermo Cisneros – West Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

Lynn Rabaut – retired

Kristine Bersche – Natura Architectural Consulting LLC

Troy Butler – Thacker Sleight

Nathaniel Moody – City Commissioner

Kim McLaughlin – Wolverine Building Group

Micah Perkins – Retirement Services Officer US Army

John VanFossen – Meijer

Joshua Verhulst – Tech Defenders

The proposed 2022 Budget for the Southtown Corridor Improvement Authority is $717.008.

Southtown CIA Board of Directors

Bill DeJonge – PNC Mortgage

Johnathan Farman – JF Consulting

Kristian Grant – GRPS

Helen Harp – Owner Joy Radio

Senita Lenear – City Commissioner

Isaac Norris – Isaac V. Norris & Associates, P.C.

Ruben Ramos – R&R Mechanical Services LLC

Darel Ross – Start Garden and Owner Forty Acres Soul Kitchen

The proposed 2022 Budget for the Westside Corridor Improvement Authority is $282,000.

Westside CIA Board of Directors

Peter Brand – CEO Mindscape

Johnny Brann Jr. – Brann’s Restaurant

Daniel Grinwis – Oasis of Hope Center

Lisa Haynes – GVSU

Michael Lamonaco – HealthBar

Paola Mendivil – Ferris State University

Jon O’Connor – City Commissioner/Owner of Long Road Distillers

Dave Shaffer – CEO Interphase Interiors

Andrew Sisson – Mel Trotter Ministries

The proposed 2022 Budget for the Uptown Corridor Improvement Authority is $329,600. 

Uptown CIA Board of Directors

Lynn Happel – owner of Veterinary Clinic

Stephanie Johnson – Urban Exchange LLC

Nathaniel Moody – City Commissioner

Matthew Smith – Open Systems Technologies Inc

Mark Stoddard

Tamara Sytsma – System Wealth Strategies

Peter Vanderwier

The proposed 2022 Budget for the Uptown Business Improvement District is $134,004.

Uptown BID Board of Directors

Stephanie Johnson – Urban Exchange LLC

Nathaniel Moody – City Commissioner

Matthew Smith – Open Systems Technologies Inc

Tamara Sytsma – System Wealth Strategies

Peter Vanderwier

Ted Lott – Lott3Metz Architecture 

Jaye Van Lenten – Co-owner of Spirit Dreams

The proposed 2022 Budget for the Michigan Street Corridor Improvement Authority is $285,000. 

Michigan Street CIA Board of Directors

Max Benedict – Third Coast Development

Kevin Brant – Developer

Thomas Dann – Real Estate Agent

Joe Jones – City Commissioner

Alexander Lamkin

Jeff Lobdell – Restaurant Partners Inc.

Christopher Swank – GVSU

Joseph Vugteveen – GVSU

The proposed 2022 Budget for the South Division/Grandville Corridor Improvement Authority is $116,500.

South Division/Grandville CIA Board of Directors

Amy Brower – Roosevelt Park Neighborhood Association

Fran Dalton – Garfield Park Neighborhood Association

Mary Dengerink – Green Leaf Consulting

Synia Jordan – Real Estate Agent

Ana Jose – Transformando West Michigan

Henry Pena

Kurt Reppart – City Commissioner

Leonard Van Drunen – Calvin University

Angelica Velasquez – owner of La Casa de la Cobija

The proposed 2022 Budget for the North Quarter Corridor Improvement Authority is $75,000.

North Quarter CIA Board of Directors

Hannah Berry – Lions and Rabbits Center for the Arts

Duane Culver – Culver CPA Group

Brianna Forbes – Urban Massage

Cassandra Oracz – Dwelling Place of Grand Rapids

Rachel Posthumus – Switchback Gear Exchange

Milinda Ysasi – City Commissioner