Grand Rapids city officials are knocking on wood this spring as administrators say there were no unexpected surprises as they prepared a budget proposal for the coming fiscal year.
City Manager Greg Sundstrom and the city's finance staff presented the proposed fiscal 2018 budget to the commission Tuesday that totals $527 million in appropriations - the largest city budget to date.
Mlive reports, the proposed budget includes plans to add a net gain of 11.5 city workers - some of which were positions eliminated when the city cut 500 employees in 2009.
The city will also have its highest level of reserves in recent history - with a projection of 16.3 percent of its general fund in reserves and 10 percent of its budget stabilization fund in reserves.
That's due to several factors, the largest of which is higher than expected growth in the city's income tax revenue.