Grand Rapids invites First Ward residents to apply for open city commissioner position
GRAND RAPIDS, MI – The City of Grand Rapids is inviting First Ward residents to apply for an open city commissioner seat. The vacancy follows the resignation of former commissioner Drew Robbins. Applications will be accepted from March 10 through 5 p.m. March 24.
The person selected will serve through December 31, the end of the current four‑year term. Because this is an appointment, the new commissioner may also choose to run in the August 4 nonpartisan primary. Petition packets for that election are available from the City Clerk’s Office.
To qualify for the $35,204 position, applicants must have lived in the City of Grand Rapids for at least six months before the appointment date and must be a registered voter of the First Ward.
Application forms can be picked up at the City Clerk’s Office or downloaded from the City’s website. A completed application must include the form, a résumé, one professional reference, two personal references, and responses to the required essay questions. Applications may be submitted by email to cityclerk@grcity.us or delivered to the City Clerk at 300 Monroe Ave. NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503. Late submissions will not be accepted.
After the deadline, City Clerk Joel Hondorp will review applications to confirm eligibility. The City Commission’s Committee on Appointments will review applicants the week of March 30 and hold interviews the week of April 13. The committee will then recommend three finalists to the full City Commission.
Finalist interviews will take place during a public City Commission meeting the week of April 20.
Commissioners may vote at that meeting or choose to continue discussion at a later date. The selected candidate will be sworn in immediately after the vote. The public will have an opportunity to speak during the standard comment period of the meeting.
For more information about the application or appointment process, contact the City Clerk’s Office at 616‑456‑3010 or cityclerk@grcity.us.
