Three finalists for Grand Rapids city attorney stress rule of law, equity and transparency at public forum

Three finalists vying to be Grand Rapids City attorney emphasized adherence to the law, stronger community engagement and attention to equity during a public forum on the recruitment process.

Sarah Hartman, the city’s director of legal affairs for the civil litigation division, Matt Cross, an outside municipal-law partner, and Phil Strom, the interim city attorney, each outlined how they would advise the city on policing, prosecutions, protests, housing and transparency if selected by the city commission. The candidates said the city attorney’s office should counsel the commission on legal risk while also listening to community stakeholders and seeking administrative changes that avoid unequal outcomes.

The candidates described different emphases rather than sharply divergent legal philosophies. Hartman said her litigation work gives her insight into where policies break down in practice and that the city attorney should both review policies on the front end and flag inequitable real-world outcomes to department heads and the commission. "If those policies impact employment situations, I’ve also helped the city through bargaining sessions," she said.

Cross, who represents multiple municipalities and said he spends half his practice in litigation, emphasized proactive training, staying current with case law and using diversion or treatment options in low-level criminal matters. He told the audience he has "two excessive force cases pending right now in federal court and one unlawful search and seizure" and said such litigation informs how he would advise on policing and de-escalation policy.

Strom, who has served as interim city attorney for seven months, stressed presence and communication with both officers and community groups and cited Grand Rapids’ recent use of transformational brownfield tools and internal diversion programs as examples of the law department supporting city goals. "We have to follow our city charter and the rule of law," he said, while also advocating for transparent processes and recruiting legal talent to handle complex transactional work.

On policing and civil-rights concerns, all three candidates said the office must both defend the city where appropriate and ensure accountability. They noted limits imposed by collective bargaining agreements but said outside counsel and careful investigative processes can address conflicts of interest. Candidates warned that failing to investigate or correct problematic practices can expose the city to municipal liability claims.

On public protests and First Amendment issues, the candidates recommended outreach to organizers, clear explanation of time, place and manner rules, and training for officers to avoid content-based restrictions. On affordable housing, they pointed to zoning changes, permit streamlining and tax-increment or brownfield-financing options as legal levers to increase housing supply.

Each candidate acknowledged the tension between attorney-client confidentiality and public calls for transparency. They suggested improved public education about what the city attorney’s office does and strict adherence to Freedom of Information Act obligations to build trust. The moderator reminded attendees that written feedback and a QR-code survey would be forwarded to the commission as part of the selection process.

The forum was one step in a multi-stage recruitment that included a reception and a series of panel interviews earlier in the day; the commission will review public feedback before the next stage of the selection process.