The exact same issue was on the ballot in May of this year, and it was defeated by a vote of 58% to 42%. Wyoming Public School leaders believed that voters didn’t understand the tax issue in May and decided to try again only three months later. KCFFR did not oppose the tax increase in May.

KCFFR got involved in this election because such redundant and repetitive elections display a contempt for taxpayers on the part of elected leaders. This is the only issue that was on the ballot in Wyoming and this election cost taxpayers over $9,000 to administer.

“We have consistently fought to limit the number of tax issues that local governments can put on the ballot each year,” said Eric Larson, spokesman for KCFFR. He continued, “Wyoming Public Schools wasted more taxpayer money, hoping that voters wouldn’t show up to oppose the tax increase a second time because this was the only question on the ballot.”

The result today was 63% voting “no,” a higher percentage than in May. KCFFR reached out to over 2,000 voters in Wyoming to remind them to vote “no” and send a message that these sorts of wasteful elections need to stop.

KCFFR did not oppose the millage in May but will work to defeat the request on its second attempt this August 2nd.  Said KCFFR spokesman Eric Larson, “We are so disappointed in the actions of the Wyoming School Board to bring before the voters an identical tax increase request that voters soundly rejected by 16% only three months ago. Our mission is to promote transparency, government efficiency, and good governance. Asking the people of Wyoming, who pay some of the highest property taxes in Kent County, for a rejected tax increase again is a clear abuse of government power.

“We find it ludicrous that the school board chose to hold an election to re-request a tax increase that will cost the taxpayers over $9000 when those same voters definitively said ‘no’ in May. We believe no means no. Unfortunately, many government officials think no means maybe. In order to protect taxpayers we will begin an extensive get-out-the-vote effort before the election so that Wyoming citizens realize there is an election. We can only hope, if the measure fails again, the government will accept the will of the people after this election.”

The Interurban Transit Partnership (ITP) or The Rapid, was formed in 2000 by city council votes in the six Kent County cities of East Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids, Grandville, Kentwood, Walker, and Wyoming under Public Act 196 of 1986. The act allows for the formation of transit agencies with an unelected governing board, such as The Rapid. The question of whether to join The Rapid’s taxing district was never placed before the voters. Once a city joins a regional transit agency, it becomes extremely difficult for that city’s leaders to withdraw. These unaccountable transit boards have the power to assess property taxes across all member cities without any subsequent approval from city councils. The voters of Grandville, Walker, Wyoming, and Kentwood have consistently rejected The Rapid’s successive tax increases, yet those voters have been overridden by voters in Grand Rapids and East Grand Rapids.

Under Public Act 196 of 1986, there are two means for removing a city from the taxing authority. One is a voluntary dismissal voted on by the city council and approved by the other member cities, along with approval by the transit district’s unelected board. The second method is for citizens of the cities to circulate petitions and place the question before the voters on a November election.

“We have been approached by citizen groups from most of The Rapid’s participating cities and have been providing logistical assistance,” said KCFFR spokesman Eric Larson. “We were happy to help the Grandville group with formulating their petition language to give citizens the opportunity to decide for themselves whether they want to continue to be a part of this unelected taxing authority. The voters in the city of Grandville have been consistently saying that they don’t like the direction of The Rapid, its wasteful spending, or its numerous tax hikes. We’ve been asked for help by citizens who want out of this unfair and undemocratic system. We wish this group luck in obtaining the required number of signatures and hope the voters will have the final say.”

If you are interested in helping with the petition drive, please contact us at info@kcffr.org and we will put you in touch with the coordinators in Grandville.

Learn much more about our efforts to expose wasteful spending at The Rapid by visiting our ITP Watch project web site.

KCFFR spokesman Eric Larson said, “Our disappointment and opposition to the Wyoming school district millage request is the same today as it was to Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC)’s request in 2007. After a narrow defeat in May of 2007, GRCC officials said the voters didn’t understand their tax request so they reran the millage only three months later. We helped defeat the GRCC millage then and we will seriously consider actively opposing this request. Ordinarily, we do not get involved in single municipality or school district millage requests but we may make an exception this time.”

“We are opposed to governments that continue asking the same question again and again until they get the result they want. Wyoming’s school officials should show respect for the voters and accept their defeat.”

“We find it insulting that the school offcials insinuate the ‘no’ voters were voting against the bus millage and were unaware that the Wyoming school district question was a separate tax request. If the government believes you are intelligent enough to vote yes or no they need to accept the results.” Continued Larson, “Placing this issue on the ballot again is fiscally improper as a special election is being called in Wyoming to ask just this question. It is this sort of abuse of the taxpayers that we are committed to exposing and fighting.”

At the time the Grand Rapids Press vaguely reported the following: “Now Rapid staffers are exploring the possibility of stops near Wealthy Street and Division near Logan, and considering whether the current plan to use Lafayette Avenue through Heritage Hill is the best way to access Michigan Street NE.”

The question though, was why after years of planning did the Silver Line’s route change right before voters were expected to go to the polls?

The answer is one of back room deals, powerful political forces within the city of Grand Rapids, and a total commitment by the mayor of Grand Rapids, a county commissioner, and the leadership at the Rapid to push forth their agenda of implementing the Silver Line, even if democratic processes had to be circumvented.

The Kent County Families for Fiscal Responsibility (KCFFR) received documents from a curious citizen who issued a Freedom of Information Act request for communications from Mayor Heartwell, Rapid CEO Peter Varga, County Commissioner Jim Talen, and others that explain the extraordinary lengths taken to placate a powerful Grand Rapids neighborhood association that had taken the Silver Line millage hostage.

The Heritage Hill Association (HHA) is an influential neighborhood in the city of Grand Rapids because of its residents and its unique status as an historical neighborhood. That designation gives it unique ‘veto’ privileges for projects that are planned either in or through the neighborhood. According to emails obtained, the HHA was supportive of the transit system so long as it did not traverse their neighborhood. The HHA cited safety, vibration, congestion, and noise as reasons for their opposition. Due to those concerns, the HHA said that, if unchanged, it would oppose the millage and that it had to be altered before the election. City commissioner Rosalyn Bliss accurately noted that the HHA had the power to veto the entire project even if it passed at the polls.

Mayor Heartwell, Peter Varga, and commissioner Talen quickly went to work in an attempt to mollify the association. They did this even though, according to Grand Rapids city commissioner Rosalyn Bliss, GVSU was “honked off” that their facility would be bypassed by the new bus route. They then passed a resolution written by the Heritage Hill Association that simply mentioned that the planning board should look at more considerations with the routing of the Silver Line and make a decision right away.

Of course, the only input was from one neighborhood association that dictated a completely revised route of a major millage proposal before six cities. The reasons for the change were not made public to anyone outside of this small group of insiders and certainly not to anyone outside of the city of Grand Rapids. Afterwards, Mayor Heartwell stated in an email that the process was “a very healthy exercise in democracy.”

KCFFR spokesman Eric Larson had this to say about the recent revelations, “The very purpose of our county-wide organization is to promote government transparency and the efficient use of taxpayer dollars. This episode with how one Grand Rapids neighborhood behind the scenes held the mayor, a county commissioner, GVSU, and the Rapid staff at hostage without allowing any input or explanation for anyone in the outlying cities is outrageous.”

“One of the major complaints we hear from people in the cities of Walker, Grandville, Wyoming, Kentwood, and East Grand Rapids is that the Rapid system is one which serves primarily the city of Grand Rapids and that Grand Rapids dictates the terms. Many citizens feel that the outlying cities are simply viewed as a tax base by Grand Rapids and that the real political power of the unelected Rapid board lies downtown.”

“During the Friends of Transit kick-off campaign, Mayor Heartwell described those who opposed the millage and expansion of the Rapid as ‘anti-community.’ Yet, he felt that the back-room deals he helped orchestrate are an exercise in democracy. We cannot help but think that the Mayor and his cohorts view the majority of voters who opposed the Silver Line in 2009 in disdain while they work behind the scenes to circumvent a transparent and democratic government.”

For a more complete time line and copies of all the relevant emails, please visit this link.