Tuesday night’s Grand Rapids Commission Meeting lasted into the early hours of Wednesday morning after over one hundred people called in to express their opinions regarding the motion Commissioner Milinda Ysasi proposed at an earlier meeting to partially defund the Grand Rapids Police Department and reduce their budget by $9.5 million dollars a reduction that could mean the lay-off of at least 75 sworn personnel.
“I feel that it is necessary to put a motion on the floor to move to 32%...to move to that minimum requirement in the charter,”
The 32% Ysasi refers to here is in reference to a City Charter passed by voters in 1995 to ensure at least 32% is allocated to GRPD. Ysasi was not able to push the motion forward as City Attorney, Anita Hitchcock, explained during the meeting to the commissioners that they do not have the legal power to amend a budget they have already approved without the support of the City Manager and without detailing how the remaining funds would be used. After hearing from Hichtcock, Commissioner Senita Lenear expressed frustration about not knowing the legal details before the day of the meeting.
“People are tired of feeling dismissed. People are tired of feeling like they are not being heard or respected.”
Commissioners Joe Jones and Ysasi asked for a second opinion regarding the legal implications detailed by Hitchcock.
