City Manager Traveled to Belgium and Multiple U.S. Cities on City Credit Card

GRAND RAPIDS — Grand Rapids City Manager Mark Washington put more than $17,000 on the city credit card during 2024, with total travel expenses reaching $21,102, according to credit card receipts obtained through a records request by Michigan Capitol Confidential.

The records show Washington traveled to Belgium and various points in the United States throughout 2024, with significant expenses for flights, hotels, and related travel costs.

Belgium Trip Attended ICMA Global Exchange

In May 2024, Washington spent $2,888 on a trip to Belgium to attend the International City/County Management Association's Global Exchange. He stayed at Duke's Palace, a five-star hotel in Belgium, to participate in the conference.

The conference focused on pedestrian and transit solutions, urban innovation, and emerging technologies, including participation in a European AI summit.

"City Manager Mark Washington traveled to Belgium in May 2024 as part of the International City/County Management Association's (ICMA) Global Exchange, undertaken in his role as an appointed member of ICMA's Global Engagement Committee," Steve Guitar, media relations manager for the city, told Michigan Capitol Confidential in an email.

The exchange focused on pedestrian and transit solutions, urban innovation, and emerging technologies, including participation in a European AI summit.

The ICMA covered Washington's conference registration fees, Guitar said. The conference itinerary included meetings with officials from Bruges and other Belgian municipalities.

City Official Defends Travel Expenses

The city defends Washington's travel as beneficial to Grand Rapids.

"The information Washington learned will help Grand Rapids create policies that involve mobility, technology and urban development," Guitar wrote.

Guitar also noted that the ICMA set the itinerary and lodging for the delegation, in which Mr. Washington represented Grand Rapids and the Midwest region.

"In accordance with ICMA's program guidelines, participants are responsible for their own travel, lodging, and related expenses under their employer's policies. Total cost to the City for the Belgium exchange was $2,888," Guitar said.

Guitar added that the average lodging cost per night was $170, which he described as comparable to the cost of mid-range business hotels in the U.S.

Ongoing Dispute With Comptroller

The travel records come amid an ongoing dispute between the city administration and elected Comptroller Max Frantz over city spending practices.

In December 2025, Frantz filed a lawsuit alleging that city officials violated the city charter by transferring some of his duties, staffers, and budget to other offices.

In August 2024, Frantz filed a complaint with the Michigan State Police, saying that City Manager Mark Washington had misused city funds. According to Frantz's lawsuit, Washington used city funds to pay a $323 restaurant bill at Bistro Bella Vita and tried to get the city to pay an $822 restaurant bill on behalf of an organization of which he was a board member.

A local prosecutor declined to press charges.

Frantz approached the state police again in November 2024, saying that Chief Financial Officer Molly Clarin and others may have violated the Open Meetings Act.

The next month, Frantz said, the city manager and attorney started a move to transfer some of the comptroller's responsibilities to the city manager's subordinates. The transfer involved 13 employees and $1.3 million in funding.

Lawsuit Setback for Comptroller

In February 2026, Judge George Jay Quist of the 17th Circuit Court of Kent County ruled against Frantz's motions for a preliminary injunction and specially appointed counsel.

Quist wrote in part: "While the Court respects Plaintiff's arguments regarding the alleged violations, he has failed to meet his burden of proving success on the merits. It is too early in the case for the Court to make an informed decision regarding whether Defendants violated the Charter, the Home Rule City Act, and/or the Uniform Budgeting and Accounting Act."

Frantz's attorney Nicholas Gumina of Eardley Law offices said the lawsuit aims to restore the separation of powers provided for under the city charter.

"The separation of powers, at its core, is important because it creates a separate financial oversight that is not supposed to be controlled by either the executive or legislative branches of the city government," Gumina said.

City Rejects Accusations

The city rejects Frantz's accusations and cites the February 27 ruling that denied his motions.

A city spokesperson told Michigan Capitol Confidential that the 2024 reorganization optimized the city's financial structure and was "rooted in good governance."

"As stated in a prior media release, in 2024, the city manager, in consultation with the city treasurer, human resources director, and city attorney, determined that certain positions — based on their functions — would more appropriately report to the City's chief financial officer or the city treasurer," Guitar wrote.

Guitar continued that as evidenced by the comptroller's recently presented annual comprehensive financial report, the City fully embraces the comptroller's independent review and reporting of public finances.

Broader Context

Grand Rapids is the second-largest city in the state. Washington serves as the appointed chief executive officer, while Frantz is an elected official whose term stretches through 2026.

Comptroller Frantz has raised concerns about the consolidation of financial oversight functions under the city manager's office, arguing that this creates a conflict of interest and undermines the checks and balances built into the city charter.

The comptroller said Grand Rapidians have rejected similar structural changes in 1969, 1971, and 2012.

"Consolidating spending and auditing functions in the same department is a clear internal conflict of interest," Gumina said.

What Happens Next

The lawsuit continues, with both sides presenting their arguments to the court. Frantz has asked that the court order Grand Rapids to pay his legal expenses, a request the judge also denied.

As the case proceeds, questions remain about how the city will maintain proper oversight of its finances and whether the current organizational structure aligns with the city charter's requirements for separation of powers in financial matters.

The city manager's office maintains that the travel expenses were properly incurred and that the reorganization of the city's financial operations improved governance and efficiency.

Sources

• Michigan Capitol Confidential — https://www.michigancapitolconfidential.com/news/grand-rapids-city-manager-traveled-extensively-on-taxpayers-dime
• Michigan Capitol Confidential — https://www.michigancapitolconfidential.com/news/grand-rapids-stripped-comptrollers-authority-after-he-questioned-spending-lawsuit-says