• Towards Mission Creep: Fragmented Local Governance in the Face of Crisis

    Author(s):
    Daniel Rosenbaum
    Date:
    2020
    Group(s):
    MSU Law Faculty Repository
    Item Type:
    Article
    Permanent URL:
    https://doi.org/10.17613/bpbq-g920
    Abstract:
    In December 2018, following a contentious debate, Kent County's Board of Commissioners-the legislative arm of the western Michigan county that includes Grand Rapids-narrowly voted to dissolve the Kent County Land Bank (KCLB), a local governmental agency that had operated in the region since 2009.' The Board's decision came down to one core concern: mission creep. While agreeing that the KCLB had successfully targeted and rehabilitated distressed properties over the prior decade, a majority of the Board believed that the entity-which had recently rebranded itself as "Innova- LaB" and announced a shift into modular housing construction across Michigan-had strayed from its original purpose.2 Detractors argued that the KCLB was now competing with the private construction market during a boom economy, a role that it had no business playing. Supporters of the KCLB saw its foray into state-wide modular housing construction as a commendable effort to address housing affordability in Michigan.4
    Metadata:
    Published as:
    Journal article    
    Status:
    Published
    Last Updated:
    9 months ago
    License:
    Attribution
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