Mayor Stephen Kepley

Michigan Law defines 4 types of local government – County (example: Kent) Township (example: Gaines) Village (example: Caledonia) City (example: Grand Rapids)

Which one is Kentwood?

Originally known as Paris Township (1839)

Adopted City Charter in 1967

What is a Charter? The charter is a document that describes the powers and duties

of all city officials. It defines how meetings will be conducted, how laws are made, what officials are elected and their terms, and how city finances and taxes are administered.

Strong Mayor form of government Kentwood is unique because we have a Mayor-Manager

(stronger Mayor) form of government. That means our mayor is also responsible for running the city’s daily operation. Most cities in Michigan have an elected mayor and an appointed city manager (Grand Rapids, Walker, Grandville, Wyoming, Lansing, Detroit)

Elected Official - is one selected by the voters at an election. Elected offices in Kentwood include the Mayor, City Commissioners (6), Treasurer, Clerk and Judge.

Appointed Official- is one selected by the city commission. The city has many committees that need community members appointed to them. These include Parks & Recreation, Planning, Historic Preservation, Library, Economic Development, etc.

The city commission can also appoint an official to fill an un-expired term of an elected official.

A. Someone who serves in a public capacity..

Voters

City Commission

Mayor Judge

Assessor

Park & Recreation

Public Works

Police Chief

Fire Chief

Community Development

ClerkTreasurer

2 elected from Ward 1

2 electedfrom Ward 2

2 electedfrom at-large

The clerk is responsible for administering the election process in the city.

Who can vote? ANYONE who is 18 years old, and is a registered voter.

On election day, voters go to the polling booths in their precinct and use a ballot to place a vote.

Dan KasunicCity Clerk

Crime Prevention

Traffic Services

Detective Bureau

Neighborhood Relations

Fire Prevention Fire Suppression Emergency Medical Services Public Education Emergency Management Hazardous Materials

Response Technical Rescue

Municipal Water and Sewer Road Maintenance Snow Plowing Grass Mowing and Maintaining Vehicle Maintenance Building and Grounds

Maintenance Parks Maintenance

• 15 parks• Programming• Rec Center• Basketball• Tennis• Disc Golf• Splash Pads• Trails

Land use is the practice of planning where how things are placed along with size and height.

The Planning Commission is typically charged with formulating the Master Plan to guide growth in a logical manner.

Census - every 10 years the Federal Government takes an official count of everyone who is living in the United States.

2010 Kentwood Census Data Kentwood population – 50,233

(adjusted 2013) Housing Units – 21,584 Size - 21.04 square miles Extremely diverse and unique

cultures!

Kentwood City Commission meets the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month at 7:00pm at the Kentwood City Center, 4900 Breton Rd

Agenda – an outline showing what topics will be discussed at a meeting

Public Hearing – the time during the meeting where anyone can speak to a specific item on the agenda.

Where does the money come from?

Taxes - anyone who owns property in the city of Kentwood pays taxes. Taxes pay for city staff and services.

Permits Fees Fines