GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The Grand Rapids city comptroller has filed a lawsuit against the city for what he calls the “unlawful” transfer of responsibilities and employees out of his office.
Comptroller Max Frantz, who was first appointed to fill the vacant position in 2019 and was later elected in an unopposed election in 2022, claims that the reallocation of staffing and duties violate the city charter and exceed the legal authority of the city commission, City Manager Mark Washington and Chief Financial Officer Molly Clarin, who are also named in the suit.
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“These … actions unlawfully alter the form of city government, eliminates Charter-mandated separation of powers, and impairs the independence of an elected officer whose duties are established by law,” the lawsuit argues.
A 2024 budget amendment reassigned the accounting, auditing and payment-issuance functions of Frantz’s office to a newly created Accounting Services Division under the authority of the city manager, an appointed position…