The City of Grand Rapids has set an ambitious goal of eliminating its longstanding Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) backlog in fiscal year 2027, as outlined in its preliminary fiscal plan.
FOIA requests, which allow the public to access government records, have faced significant delays in the city, sometimes stretching for months or over a year.
The goal is part of the city’s “Governmental Excellence” initiative, a part of which will bolster efforts to reduce the backlog of FOIA, particularly related to police reports, which is where the bulk of the backlog remains.
A city spokesperson told The Herald that the number of annual FOIA requests received by the GRPD is 30% higher than all other city departments combined.
As for addressing the backlog, the spokesperson cited the city’s adoption of a new platform called JustFOIA, which is meant to improve efficiency in processing requests.
“The City continually reviews its processes to look for more efficient ways to respond,” the spokesperson added.
The spokesperson declined to provide details as to the extent of the FOIA backlog, because the number of FOIA requests pending fluctuates so frequently.
In response to an inquiry regarding the state of Michigan’s FOIA law and procedure, Mackinac Center’s for Public Policy’s Stephen Delie told The Herald the current law is cumbersome for Michigan residents and does not achieve what it is meant to achieve.
“Michigan’s FOIA law isn’t working,” Delie wrote in an email to The Herald.
“Excessive delays, fines, and redactions make it extremely difficult for our citizens to get the information they need to understand how government works,” he continued. “Government needs to start applying FOIA in the pro-transparency spirit that’s intended and stop treating open records laws like a burden.”
A 2023 WoodTV report notes that the GRPD alone had over 2,000 unprocessed requests.
The logjam of unfulfilled requests has even led to FOIA-related lawsuits, such as the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan v. City of Grand Rapids case.
According to the ACLU, the backlog has been a persistent issue, with some requests—even those estimated to require only a few hours of staff time—facing waits of eight to 10 months or longer due to high volume. In December 2021, the ACLU submitted a FOIA request to the Grand Rapids Police Department regarding its use of drones. The city took over a year to fulfill that request.
In March 2023, the ACLU filed a follow-up request seeking records on the city’s FOIA processing times and backlogs. The city estimated this would take just 2.25 hours of work but informed the ACLU it could take eight to 10 months due to the existing backlog.
The ACLU sued in September 2023, arguing the delays violated Michigan’s FOIA by failing to provide a “reasonable opportunity” for access to records.
A circuit court ruled in the city’s favor in late 2024, and the Michigan Court of Appeals upheld that decision in December 2025. The appeals court noted that state law does not impose a specific deadline for fulfilling requests after the initial response, though it requires a reasonable opportunity for inspection. The city ultimately provided the records about 13 months after the second request.
City officials have insisted, however, that FOIA fulfillment remains a priority and that the city is working to respond equitably and as quickly as possible within legal bounds.
Write to jacob@grherald.com.