This project will track voting records and campaign finance information for candidates and elected officials for the Grand Rapids School Board, the Grand Rapids City Commission, the Kent County Commission, and other Kent County elected positions and ballot initiatives.

We are the advocates and organizers behind the Local Democracy, Transparency and Accountability Project. Our mission is dedicated to enhancing transparency and accountability in local governance within Grand Rapids and Kent County. We believe that these tools can promote greater transparency and accountability in our local elected officials.

This work is crucial because it empowers residents by providing clear insights into the voting records and campaign finances of candidates and elected officials. By making this information readily accessible, we aim to foster a more informed electorate and encourage active participation in local democracy.

Our goal is to track and document voting records and campaign finance information for various local positions and initiatives. Through these efforts, we seek to promote greater transparency in the decision-making processes of our local elected officials. Ultimately, we aim to hold these officials accountable to the communities they serve, thereby strengthening democratic practices at the local level.

In the State of Michigan, there are campaign contribution limits based on the size of the population that the elected office governs.

In Kent County, individuals or political committees can contribute up to $8,325 to candidates running for Prosecuting Attorney, Sheriff, County Clerk/Register of Deeds, Treasurer, Drain Commissioner or Grand Rapids Community College Board. The maximum individual or political committee contribution for candidates running for Grand Rapids Mayor, Grand Rapids Comptroller, and Grand Rapids Public School Board is $2,450. The maximum individual or political committee contribution for all other elective offices in Kent County is $1,225. 

This page details the contribution limits for local-level offices in different counties throughout the State of Michigan.

All of our information on Campaign Finances comes from the Kent County Clerk.

https://kent.mi.campaignfinance.us/

For voting records we will be using minutes of meetings and video recordings from the Grand Rapids City Commission meetings, the Kent County Commission meetings, and the GRPS School Board meetings.

Our criteria for identifying the top five monetary contributors for each candidate was based on the highest dollar amount. In instances where there is more than one contributor who made the same contribution amount, we listed them in alphabetical order by first name.