Greetings from the Mayor's Office | | |
As we enter August, our summer events this year have been incredibly successful once again. Our weather has cooperated, and we continue to have strong turnouts for most of the events we host as a City. We know it takes our community coming out to these events to help ensure their success, but it also takes a village behind the scenes. There are numerous shoutouts that need to go out to our departments in Parks and Recreation, Public Works, Police, and Fire, as well as to our City staff who volunteer. We also have partners, such as the Kent District Library, with whom we hosted the Summer Splash Party. As a civic leader, I continue to take pride in and remain grateful for the team approach we take to make our community events as impactful as possible. We truly live in a special community.
The first Tuesday of August always brings us our National Night Out celebrations. In that partnership spirit I just mentioned, we are fortunate to have a business like Feyen Zylstra, which invests in our community and hosts a fun night of games, food, and engaging with our neighbors. Please come out and spend time with neighbors, our police officers, firefighters, and elected officials. Some other neighborhoods throughout the City will come together on August 5, all fostering connections that make our City stronger. We know that stronger neighborhoods are foundational to a stronger community, so I encourage all of you to consider hosting gatherings in your respective neighborhoods. They do not always have to be on National Night Out either!
Work continues to progress rapidly on our new Walker library. You may have noticed the steel structure and walls starting to go up over the last few weeks, and parking around the front of City Hall is becoming a little tighter for this phase of the project. While challenging in some ways, it is exciting in many others. Thank you for being understanding as we work through these short-term inconveniences. And please do not forget the temporary Walker library in Standale Plaza is open for business!
The Fruitridge Bridge project also continues to move at a breakneck pace. Thank you to our City staff, partners at MDOT, as well as the contractors staying on track. Seeing those steel beams placed across the highway a couple of weeks ago has brought some excitement to our community, and that proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. However, we are still a few months away from completion.
Thank you for being part of this vibrant community. Your engagement, whether at a concert, community event, or otherwise, fuels Walker’s growth. We continue to accelerate our momentum into August and beyond.
Mayor Gary L. Carey, Jr.
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City Commission meets on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of every month, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Visit walker.city/citycommission for agendas, videos, and meeting minutes.
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Planning Commission meets on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of every month, beginning at 6:30 PM. Visit walker.city/planningcommission for agendas, videos, and meeting minutes.
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E-Updates: Sign up for email alerts to be notified when meeting agendas are published by clicking here.
| | The Made in Walker podcast features a 15-minute discussion with local business owners, elected officials, Walker City staff, and other community members. New episodes debut every other week. Listen to them on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you download your podcasts. You can also watch them on the City's YouTube page. | | Help Us Enhance Standale! | | |
The City of Walker is updating the Standale Subarea Plan, and we want your input! This plan focuses on improving the heart of our downtown area, centered around the fire station. Whether it’s better public spaces or safer ways to get around, your ideas matter. Take a few minutes to complete the community survey and help shape the future of Standale.
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Elections Update
The City of Walker will hold a Special Election on November 4, 2025
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Grandville Public School District Proposals:
- Operating Millage Renewal Proposal
- Sinking Fund Millage Proposal
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Kent ISD School District: A proposal is anticipated from the Kent ISD School District, as their board approved it for the fall ballot during their meeting on July 21
Did You Know?
By going to MI.gov/vote you can:
• Request an absentee ballot and vote from home
• Update your address
• Register to vote
• Verify you are registered to vote
• Find your polling location
• Track the status of your ballot
• See what will be on your ballot
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Stay Informed About Voting Precinct Changes!
In May, we shared important changes that may affect where you’ll vote in upcoming elections. It’s essential to stay informed, so we encourage you to check out the details on our Precinct Page.
You'll find updated precinct information, helpful resources and FAQs, as well as important contacts for many questions.
Check it out today and ensure your voice is heard in our community!
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Passports
Summer is in full swing, but have you thought about your fall travel plans? Now is the perfect time to get your passport and prepare for exciting adventures ahead!
The Walker City Clerk’s Office is an official passport acceptance agency. You do not need to be a resident of Walker to take advantage of our passport services. You can have your passport photo taken here and apply for your passport! To schedule an appointment, call (616) 791-6865.
Passports are currently taking 4-6 weeks for routine processing and 2-3 weeks for expedited processing.
Don’t Forget to Calculate Mail Time: It can take up to 2 weeks for applications to arrive at the passport processing center, and it can take up to 2 weeks to receive a completed passport after the passport center prints it. Processing times + mailing times = total time to get a passport
| | Income Tax Department Updates | | |
Due Dates
Third quarter estimated payments for calendar year 2025 are due September 30, 2025. Forms are available on our website.
Missing Info
Did you receive a request for information related to your 2024 Walker income tax return? If we did not receive the information upon request from the taxpayer, deductions and credits will be disallowed resulting in a lower refund or assessment. If you were expecting a refund, but have received a proposed assessment or reduced refund, there is still time to provide the required information. You must send us an amended return with proof of the credit/deduction within 30 days of the date you received the notice that we adjusted your return. If you’re not sure what we need, please email us at incometax@walker.city or call (616) 791-6880.
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Forgotten Returns
If you have past years of Walker returns that you have forgotten to file, contact the tax department immediately at (616) 791-6880. If you file prior-year returns and pay the tax and interest due, you may request a waiver of penalty. If the tax department contacts you first regarding unfiled returns, you will not be eligible for a waiver of penalty. We are electronically matching State of Michigan returns filed from a Walker resident address with Walker returns filed. If you have forgotten to file Walker returns from prior years, now is the time to get that cleared up before the letters go out from this matching program.
Questions?
If you are not sure if you need to file Walker Income Tax returns, the most common questions are answered on our website. You can also call us at (616) 791-6880.
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New Certification
Congratulations to Walker Firefighters Christian Hennells and Brendan Bennett for recently completing the Child Passenger Safety Seat Technician Course. This class, hosted by the Allendale Fire Department, trains and certifies participants to properly assess and install child safety seats. Christian and Brendan have already applied their training by assisting a citizen who visited Station 2 for help with their carseat. Thank you to Christian and Brendan for their commitment to making our community a safer place to live.
| | | | Police Department Updates | | |
Recently, the Walker and Grandville Police Departments began participating in Special Olympics Michigan (SOMI) events as liaisons to the athletes. The work has been incredibly rewarding, and we are now organizing a Dine to Donate fundraiser for SOMI.
Please join both departments on August 6 from 3:00 to 10:00 PM at the Texas Roadhouse in Grandville, where 10% of your bill will be donated back to SOMI! Show a printed or digital copy of the event flyer found on either the Walker or Grandville Police Department Facebook pages.
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Protect Your Property
We are again seeing a slight uptick in larcenies from UNLOCKED vehicles. Please do your due diligence to ensure vehicles are locked each time they are left unattended and that valuables have been removed or are not easily visible. Thieves follow the path of least resistance so ensure all they find are locked vehicles in our City. When they no longer receive rewards for their efforts, they will go elsewhere and look for easier targets. As always, call 911 with any suspicious activity, at the time you observe it. This gives officers the best chance to get into the right areas at the right times.
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National Night Out
Walker PD will be at our largest community event of the year, National Night Out. The FREE event will be held on the Feyen Zylstra property at the corner of Alpine and Hillside. Open to the public from 6:00 to 8:30 PM. Stop by for free food, music, bounce houses, giveaways, games, and opportunities to chat with local police officers, as well as Walker’s NEW Fire Chief. Hope to see you there!
| | Public Works & Engineering Updates | |
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West Nile Virus Detected in Walker
Through routine mosquito surveillance, the Kent County Health Department team has confirmed the presence of West Nile virus in three mosquito samples - each collected from a different ZIP code in the county: 49507 (Grand Rapids), 49544 (Walker), and 49525 (Plainfield Township). Click here for more information.
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Septic Smart Week: September 15 – 19, 2025
In Walker, poorly maintained septic systems can cause pollution in local waterways, such as Indian Mill Creek, Sand Creek, and the Grand River.
That’s why we’re connecting residents of Walker with a septic system to participate in Septic Smart Week, a national awareness campaign led by the EPA to promote safe and effective septic system care. The State of Michigan also offers FREE webinars, educational materials, and resources to assist homeowners in the maintenance of septic systems. You can learn more about homeowner resources here.
Taking care of your septic system saves money, protects our local waterways, and keeps Walker beautiful for generations to come.
| | Walker Ice and Fitness Updates | |
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Summer Hours
Monday - Friday: 5 AM - 9 PM
Saturday and Sunday: 7 AM - 5 PM
| | | | Parks and Recreation Department | | Kent District Library - Walker Branch | | While the library is being remodeled and expanded, we have moved to a temporary location in Standale Plaza. Some programs will be held in the Community Room at Walker Fire Station 2 and Walker Community Park. Here is a selection of events in August. For more info on programs, click here. | | |
Cookies with Cops Storytime
Monday, August 4 | 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Family storytime will feature an officer from the Walker Police Department as a special guest reader. There will be cookies, cops, badges, and books!
This event will be held at Walker Community Park, 700 Cummings Ave NW
Awesome Adults
Wednesday, August 6 | 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
This event will be held at Walker Fire Dept. Station 2, 4101 Lake Michigan Dr NW
Babytime
Thursday, August 7 | 9:30 AM - 10:15 AM
This event will be held at the Walker Temporary Location, 445 Standale Plaza, NW
| | KDL’s Summer Wonder journey of reading, learning, and unforgettable experiences is wrapping up for the year - but we still have a week of fun and learning left! Stop by the library on or before August 8 for a program or to pick up your finisher prize. Programming will pause briefly at the end of August before we jump into fall programming. Check out our Events Page for a sneak peek at our fall lineup! | | | | |
