The Kent County Sheriff’s Office could face a projected budget shortfall of millions in order to continue operating its corrections facility after a proposed millage increase was defeated in last week’s Midterm Elections.
Over 60% of Kent County voters rejected a proposed 20-year renewal and increase of the Corrections & Detention Millage last week. That proposal would have raised property taxes to help fund Kent County’s offerings for mental health care, medical care, inmate transportation, and substance-use treatment, among others.
While the county’s current millage extends through 2029, the statement noted that the Sheriff’s Office will still need to work with the Kent County Board of Commissioners to find new funding. If the millage is not renewed and a new funding source is not identified, officials project a potential $28.7 million annual budget shortfall.
In response to an inquiry from The Grand Rapids Herald, a Sheriff’s Office spokesperson pointed to a statement responding to the voters’ decision. That message suggested that the millage likely proved difficult for voters to stomach in an economy marred by elevated housing and energy costs.
“We respect the voters’ decision on this proposal, and appreciate everyone who participated in the democratic process,” the statement reads. “The proposal included both a renewal and an increase, and we understand how expensive everyday life has become for families across Kent County.”
The statement also acknowledged that voters may not have been clear on the function of the Kent County Detention Center.
“Our corrections facility serves law enforcement agencies throughout Kent County,” the statement reads. “Its central intake operations provide shared booking, screening, custody, and care services. Helping residents understand those responsibilities and how they are funded will remain part of our work. We remain hopeful about our community’s continued partnership with the Sheriff’s Office.”
Detractors of the proposed millage claimed the funds would be used for hot-button political topics like federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities and Flock camera surveillance. Many of those claims came from a website backed by left-leaning nonprofits, including those with ties to national Democratic donors.
Because Grand Rapids does not operate its own detention facility, GRPD is entirely dependent on Kent County’s facility to hold inmates. GRPD alone brought 7,485 inmates to the facility in 2025, accounting for roughly 42% of its incarcerations according to county data.
Approving the millage would have saved Grand Rapids an estimated $547,295 per year in detention and booking fees, according to a county estimate.
A GRPD spokesperson declined comment when reached by The Herald regarding the millage defeat.
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