The City of Grand Rapids has paid at least $47,200 to a business owned by Kent County Commissioner Monica Sparks since 2024, according to records published by the city.
Sparks is the founder of The Urban Sparks, a business consulting firm which offers training and education to help “organizations authentically answer the ‘tough questions.’” The business offers everything from motivational speaking to leadership retreats, according to its website.
Expense documents published by the City of Grand Rapids show the city paid $28,000 to The Urban Sparks in 2024 across three separate payments. The payments were in the amounts of $5,500, $11,000, and $11,500.
In 2025, The Urban Sparks received another $19,200 from the city across four payments ranging from $3,200 to $8,000. None of the expenses listed mention which services the city received from The Urban Sparks.
Sparks, who recently campaigned for Kentwood mayor, told The Grand Rapids Herald in a statement via email that her business provided “professional services to the City of Grand Rapids centered on community engagement, wellness programming, and outreach support.”
Sparks added that the transactions do not represent a conflict of interest in her political work due to the separation of power between the city and county.
“My role as a Kent County Commissioner is separate from any work conducted by Urban Sparks,” she wrote. “Kent County does not fund or oversee City of Grand Rapids operations related to these services, including OPA activities.”
“Because there is no overlap in funding authority or decision-making between my county role and these city contracts, there is no conflict of interest,” Sparks added. “I remain committed to transparency and ethical leadership in all roles.”
Sparks first joined the Kent County Commission in 2018. Her LinkedIn page explains that during her tenure she has been involved in approving “annual budgets for various county services” while raising funds “to support county operations through property taxes, fee setting, bond sales, and borrowing.”
The commissioner also currently sits on the Kent County Finance Committee, an entity responsible for overseeing the county’s budget and appropriations. Her page states she oversaw a budget of $444 million.
While Kent County does not directly fund the city, it funnels millions into Grand Rapids-based nonprofits each year. Grand Rapids also benefits significantly from Kent County resources through joint grant applications and tax revenue sharing.
The county is also invested in several local developments, including the WhiteWater project and the Acrisure Amphitheater.
Write to jackson@grherald.com.