Eardley Law Offices, PC has filed a lawsuit on behalf of Grand Rapids City Comptroller Max Frantz seeking to enforce the Grand Rapids City Charter and protect the voter-approved financial safeguards that govern how public funds are managed in the City. The lawsuit challenges actions by City officials that reassigned the Comptroller’s Charter-mandated accounting, auditing, and payment-issuance duties to unelected administrators—without voter approval.
WHAT THE LAWSUIT CHALLENGES
Under Michigan law, a city charter functions as the municipality’s local constitution. Any change to the structure of city government or the powers of an elected office must be approved by voters through a formal charter amendment. The complaint alleges that City officials transferred core financial oversight duties assigned by the Charter to the independently elected Comptroller through administrative action and budget amendments, rather than through the voter-approval process required by law.
WHY THE CITY CHARTER MATTERS
The Grand Rapids City Charter establishes a separation of financial duties designed to prevent the concentration of power and to ensure independent oversight of public funds. Under the Charter:
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The Comptroller is independently elected by the voters
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Accounting, auditing, and payment controls are intentionally separated
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Financial oversight is insulated from administrative consolidation
These safeguards exist to promote transparency, accountability, and public trust in municipal governance.
VOTERS HAVE ALREADY ADDRESSED THIS ISSUE
The lawsuit also notes that Grand Rapids voters have repeatedly rejected proposals to eliminate or consolidate the Comptroller’s duties under the City Manager. On multiple occasions, voters declined charter amendments that would have reduced the independence of the Comptroller’s office or converted it into an appointed position.
The case seeks to uphold those voter decisions and enforce the Charter as written.
WHAT THE LAWSUIT SEEKS
The action asks the court to:
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Declare the reassignment of Charter-mandated duties unlawful
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Enjoin City officials from exercising powers reserved to the elected Comptroller
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Restore the Charter’s required separation of financial responsibilities
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Ensure City finances are administered in accordance with voter-approved law
This case concerns legal process and Charter compliance—not policy preferences.
MEDIA COVERAGE
OUR ROLE
Eardley Law Offices, PC has decades of experience handling high-stakes litigation in Michigan involving public entities, elected officials, and matters of significant public interest. Our practice includes complex governmental disputes, constitutional and statutory interpretation, and litigation designed to enforce accountability and compliance with the law. We take on difficult cases. We enforce the rules that protect citizens and voters. And we represent individuals and officials who seek to ensure that government operates within the bounds set by law.
If you have questions about municipal governance, Charter enforcement, or complex litigation involving public institutions, contact Eardley Law Offices to learn more.