At a wide-ranging informal conversation, Ward 3 Commissioner Marshall Kilgore responded to the present public’s concerns regarding issues ranging from policing to community development to climate change. 

Policing

Prompted by several residents in attendance, Kilgore spoke about the need to get more programs up and running in the city to help head off potential conflicts with law enforcement. 

“I’m really pushing them to get out of cars,” he said of the GRPD patrol officers. 

He compared police cars to protective shields that keep officers sheltered in situations that they could find uncomfortable.

Kilgore and the residents present also shared the idea that police officers should be hired out of the communities that they are most likely to be policing, so that they do not feel as if they are in hostile or unknown situations. 

Community Development

Also on the docket was Kilgore’s joint efforts with fellow Ward 3 Commissioner Kelsey Perdue in trying to bring more community development dollars into their ward. 

When asked about his vision for the future of Ward 3, he mentioned more upscale dining with outdoor seating, as well as expanded options in medical care. 

“Make it like Wealthy [Street], but more diverse,” the commissioner said. 

About a third of Grand Rapids’ total population lives in the third ward, though it accounts for 40-45% of the city’s total crime and approximately half of the city’s violent crime. 

Still, he emphasized that, in his view, the current “dysfunctional” administration in Washington has made the task more difficult by cutting grants that were targeted at DEI initiatives. 

“The funding is just not there,” he noted. “This administration cut the harm reduction dollars.”

“The federal government has just become such a barrier,” he continued, citing former President Biden’s Build Back Better campaign as a model for municipal funding. 

Without the former federal dollars to fall back on for social programs, however, Kilgore expressed hope that private money could be acquired. 

“We have wealthy people here,” he said. “How can we find ways to get their support?” 

“We need some more wealth down here,” he concluded.

Climate Plan Action

Some residents also asked about the enactment of the Grand Rapids Climate Plan. 

Kilgore noted that it was a question of funding, and added that the city commission intends to review the plan in the coming months. 

“The city has a lot of plans,” he said. “I’m hopeful that we can make sure this one doesn’t get shelved.”

As noted in a previous Grand Rapids Herald report, funding sources for the Grand Rapids Climate Plan are unclear. The commissioner mentioned, but did not elaborate on, potential cuts to other departments.  

He emphasized that “climate change is real,” particularly in light of the recent flooding of several streets in Grand Rapids after heavy rainfall. 

In response to past criticism of the plan from the business community, Kilgore argued that “the plan is good for everyone.”