Bulkowski and Frantz to Compete for City Comptroller
Grand Rapids voters will elect a new city comptroller on November 3, 2026, to serve a four-year term.
Updated on Oct. 2, 2026 in Elections
Live Poll
Do you support independent oversight for city financial records instead of central city management control?
Voters in Grand Rapids will decide the city comptroller race between incumbent Max Frantz and challenger David Bulkowski on November 3, 2026. The position is a four-year term responsible for maintaining city fund records and auditing government services.
Why it matters
The election serves to determine leadership over the office tasked with financial reporting and auditing. The position has recently faced institutional scrutiny following internal staff and budget shifts.
The comptroller manages municipal fund records, financial reports, and government audits. In 2025, the city transferred comptroller duties to the city manager and cut three-quarters of the office budget.
The players
Max Frantz
He is the incumbent comptroller who previously served on the Kent County Board of Commissioners and the Grand Rapids Board of Education.
David Bulkowski
He serves as the executive director of Disability Advocates of Kent County and is currently challenging the incumbent for the comptroller seat.
The details
Max Frantz, who has served as comptroller since 2019, faces David Bulkowski, the executive director of Disability Advocates of Kent County. The race follows a period of tension during which Frantz sued the city over the 2024 reassignment of 13 accounting and auditing staff members.
Timeline
Max Frantz was appointed city comptroller in 2019.
Voters elected Max Frantz to the comptroller position in 2022.
The city moved 13 staff from the comptroller office in 2024.
City officials transferred comptroller duties to the city manager in 2025.
The Grand Rapids City Comptroller election is set for November 3, 2026.
Political Context
The opposition from the incumbent toward city leadership centers on the autonomy of the comptroller office relative to the Grand Rapids City Charter. Critics argue that transferring comptroller duties to the city manager weakens independent financial oversight.
The winner of this election will oversee the integrity of local fund records and public financial auditing for the next four years. Residents will see changes in how the city reports its financial health depending on the administrative power granted to the comptroller's office.
The takeaway
Voters will determine the future of financial oversight in Grand Rapids as the office navigates recent budget and duty reductions. The transition of responsibilities to the city manager marks a shift that may redefine the comptroller's influence in the coming term.
Further reading
For more information on upcoming local contests, visit Elections.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Mlive.
Live Poll
Do you support independent oversight for city financial records instead of central city management control?
