Who watches Grand Rapids City Hall if the watchdog is muzzled?
Mackinac Center for Public Policy · June 9, 2026 · By Michael J. Reitz
This article originally appeared in The Detroit News on April 7, 2026.
There's a fight in Grand Rapids. The city's financial watchdog raised concerns about spending at city hall. The response? The officials, whose spending he reviews, gutted his office.
Grand Rapids Comptroller Max Frantz is now suing to protect his office's independence, staff and budget. This case, no matter the outcome, will influence how cities across Michigan manage their finances.
The comptroller is an independent office responsible for tracking city spending, approving payments and auditing the books. Frantz's fight began in August 2024 when he flagged a pattern of questionable spending by City Manager Mark Washington — $500 for event tickets, $323 at a local bistro, an $822 restaurant bill — and questioned whether the city should pay personal vehicle allowances to executive staff.
Months later, in December 2024, the Grand Rapids City Commission adopted a proposal to downsize the comptroller's office. The ordinance transferred core duties — issuing checks, accounting for city funds and preparing financial reports — to a new division that ultimately reports to the city manager, the very official whose spending had been questioned. The commission chopped the comptroller's staff from 16 to three and cut his budget by nearly 80%.
"Grand Rapids can and should remain a beacon of integrity in our state, but it requires taking a stand to do so when we're presented with alarming changes like this," Frantz said.
Frantz sued the city, the city commission, City Manager Mark Washington and CFO Molly Clarin in December 2025, arguing the restructuring violates the city charter and state law. Voters have rejected efforts to weaken the comptroller's independence at least three times — in 1969, 1971 and 2012.
"Our city charter governs how public funds are managed in our city and prevents any one city official from holding unchecked or excessive powers," Frantz said.
Michigan has more than 2,800 local units of government. They'll all be watching this case. If city officials can muzzle the watchdog, they can erode financial safeguards. Taxpayers, ultimately, will be the losers.