KENT COUNTY, Mich. — A Kent County state representative has returned $5,000 after a discrepancy was discovered in her application for a Small Business Recovery Fund grant, according to Kent County Administrator Al Vanderberg.
Democrat Kristian Grant was elected in 2022 and represents Michigan's 82nd House District.
She initially received the grant in September 2020 for her "Game Plan Lifestyle Planner" business.
A discrepancy was found in her grant application during a 2022–23 review.
According to Administrator Vanderberg, the problem could have been fixed if Representative Grant filed an amended return for the 2019 tax year.
But a second review, launched in April 2024, found that hadn't happened, despite claims to the contrary.
Representative Grant returned the $5,000 raised for the grant Wednesday, county officials say.
She addressed the discrepancy in a letter to County Commissioners, shared by Administrator Vanderberg.
"...I am voluntarily returning the $5,000 grant awarded to Game Plan Lifestyle Planner through the Kent County Small Business Recovery Fund in the next 24 hours so that this issue can be put to rest," Rep. Grant writes. "While it was not my error that resulted in the return not being filed, I take responsibility for this failure and believe returning the funds is the right thing to do, under the circumstances."
Read the full letter here:
Clarification and Resolution of Discrepancy in Cares Act Application (002) by WXMI on Scribd
The county administrator tells us the issue was detected and corrected thanks to oversight procedures in place within the Kent County government.
“As stewards of taxpayer dollars, we take our responsibility seriously,” says Vanderberg. “We have thoroughly addressed the issues brought to our attention regarding Rep. Grant’s applications and subsequent funding. We remain steadfast in upholding the highest standards of accountability and transparency.”
Representative Grant released the following statement:
“In 2020, I applied for and was awarded two grants from the Kent County Small Business Recovery Fund totaling $15,000. Following a 2022 inquiry from an individual with ulterior motives, Kent County initiated a review of the $5,000 grant awarded to my business, Game Plan Lifestyle Planner. I was subsequently contacted by the County in January 2023 regarding the inquiry and cooperated with their review of the grant award. The review was performed, and I understood the matter to be fully resolved and closed.
"Last month, I was again contacted by Kent County based on repeated inquiries stoked by the same individual who initiated the first review. In a second review of the documentation, I discovered my 2019 amended tax return had not been filed. I had relied on a trusted professional to assist in amending and filing my return and unfortunately, that did not happen. Despite no findings of fraud or wrongdoing on my part, I made the decision to voluntarily return the $5,000 grant awarded to Game Plan Lifestyle Planner through the Kent County Small Business Recovery Fund. That money was repaid today.
"Ultimately, while I did rely on a professional to assist in preparing my tax return, I take full responsibility for the oversight and believe returning the funds is the right thing to do. I am happy to have this matter fully resolved."
Residents wanting to report grant-related issues are invited to sent an email to kentcountyadministrator@kentcountymi.gov.
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