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The budget items below are ones that may impact your experience as a neighbor in the Downtown area. This is not a comprehensive list, just highlights from the City’s budget presentation.  

Grand Rapids uses a performance-based budget to align with the City’s Strategic Plan (click here for a refresh).  

To sum it up:  

“The FY2023 Preliminary Fiscal Plan represents a continuation of fiscally sustainable essential services with an acknowledgment that recent events require leaders to address urgent questions,” Washington said. “Those include improving public safety, accelerating police reform, increasing investment in oversight, ensuring equitable community engagement and supporting the community’s equitable recovery and growth.” -City Manager, Mark Washington

Take a Deeper Dive: The Top Spending We See Impacting Life Downtown 

If you’d like to discuss any of the items below, email me to set up a time to meet! 

1. Housing and Homelessness

“Affordable Housing Fund investments will begin this fiscal year to help drive creation of new housing.” – City Manager Mark Washington

• • According to the City Manager, “Equitable economic growth remains essential. Growing housing supply, especially affordable housing, remains a critical regional success factor.”
  • Nearly $6 Million will be put into the Affordable Housing Fund, and additional dollars could come from the “disposition of City-owned land at 201 Market Avenue.” 
  • The Homeless Outreach Team is currently funded by COVID relief money and has been very successful in addressing homelessness. 
    • A question affecting life Downtown: Will the City continue to fund HOT after the relief dollars are gone?

2. Public Safety Reform: $125.6M

• • Police Department Budget: $56.6M.
  • While costs for keeping up the barriers around the Police Department were not mentioned, Chief Winstrom is prioritizing reform, oversight, training and getting to know the community in FY 23.

3. Office of Oversight and Public Accountability (OPA)

• • 537% increase in funding: $405,781 to $2.55M. 
    • This increase in funding will allow the team to grow from 4 people (most working part-time between city departments) to 8 people in full-time staff positions.  
  • $100,000 will be spent to create, develop and build community-informed Police trainings.  
  • The body camera contract, formerly under the Police Department, is now under OPA.

4. Mobility Investments

As we’ve previously reported on the crosswalk enhancements coming to Downtown crosswalks, neighbors can also look forward to:

• • $480,000 Vision Zero pedestrian safety project.
  • $375,000 for green infrastructure/tree cover on vital street projects.
  • $2.5M for DASH services.
    • The DASH is a great way to get around the neighborhood. The DNN Advisory Board recently took a trip to experience the DASH. It was a great trip: “so easy to use!”, “got me right to where I needed to go.”, “I can’t believe I haven’t been on it before.” …are only some of the comments from neighbors on the DASH. Try it today!

5. Other

These items either didn’t fit into a priority category above, or they are items that may specifically impact you based on your location within Downtown.

• • $1.17M for River revitalization and equity initiatives.
    • Downtown neighbors: you’re going to feel the best and worst of this dynamic change! Lots of incredible changes are coming to revitalize the river to make it accessible to all. That great accessibility also means a lot of construction… sit tight! It will be worth it!
  • $100,000 for broadband connectivity improvements.
  • $1.3M for tree planting.
    • Keeping our Downtown green keeps the air clean, slows down cars, and provides relief from heat with leaf cover.

Getting Technical:  

• • Learn more about the budgeting process: Check out slides 23 – 25.  
  • Federal and State governments support to Grand Rapids and legislative priority alignment: See slides 28-29.  
  • Slide 42 breaks down Property Tax revenue – allocation of every dollar.  

• • Slide 44 shows the impending fiscal cliff of ARPA.  

Times to Engage with the City About the Budget: 

• • May 10: 10 AM – Committee of the Whole: Economic Prosperity and Affordability, Engaged and Connected Community, Governmental Excellence.
  • May 10: 1 PM – Capital, Health and Environment, Stormwater Oversight Commission, Mobility and Vital Streets Oversight Commission, additional discussion on any priority.
  • May 17:  7 PM – Public Hearing at City Commission Meeting. 
  • May 24: 10 AM – Committee of the Whole: Discussion and Deliberation.
  • May 24: 7 PM – Budget Adoption at City Commission Meeting.