Grand Rapids, Michigan, March 21, 2017 – Six West Michigan cities are teaming up with the Michigan Municipal League to discuss the state’s funding system for municipalities during a public forum on Wednesday, April 12.
Hosted by the Urban Metro Mayors and Managers, or UMMM, the Community Financial Health Forum will explore municipal funding, ways to improve the current system and local impact of state revenue-sharing declines during a discussion that is free and open to the public. The forum will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Richard M. DeVos Center of Grand Valley State University, at 401 W. Fulton St. in Grand Rapids.
“Understanding how your cities are funded is a topic that every citizen should care about,” said Anthony Minghine, Michigan Municipal League’s chief operating officer and associate executive director. “Our goal is to educate where tax dollars go, how the revenue from the state supports city services and ways to improve the funding system.”
The forum will feature a presentation from Minghine about the current funding system and opportunities for improvement. The presentation is followed by a panel discussion featuring mayors from Grand Rapids, Walker, Wyoming, East Grand Rapids, Kentwood and Grandville. The group will discuss local impacts of the funding system.
“Understanding the nuances of state and local funding can be confusing,” said Mark Rambo, deputy city administrator for the City of Kentwood and UMMM coordinator. “The Financial Health Forum is a great way for residents and business owners to connect with local leaders and learn about the impacts of our current funding model.”
Those wishing to attend are asked to RSVP by emailing Allison Gotelaere at agotelaere@mml.org.
For additional information contact the League’s Matt Bach, director of media relations, at 734.669.6317 and mbach@mml.org.
About Michigan Municipal League
Michigan Municipal League is dedicated to making Michigan’s communities better by thoughtfully innovating programs, energetically connecting ideas and people, actively serving members with resources and services, and passionately inspiring positive change for Michigan’s greatest centers of potential: its communities. The League advocates on behalf of its member communities in Lansing, Washington, D.C., and the courts; provides educational opportunities for elected and appointed municipal officials; and assists municipal leaders in administering services to their communities through League programs and services. Learn more at mml.org.
About Urban Metro Mayors & Managers
The Urban Metro Mayors and Managers is a collaborative consortium of local officials from Grand Rapids, Wyoming, Kentwood, Walker, Grandville and East Grand Rapids that find value in working together for the betterment About Urban Metro Mayors & Managers of our West Michigan communities.