Hi, I’m Phil Skaggs, your Kent County Commissioner for southeastern Grand Rapids and East Grand Rapids (District 19).

I'm honored to have been reelected as your Kent County Commissioner by the people of the 19th District - southeastern Grand Rapids and East Grand Rapids for a third term in 2020.

For updates see my Commissioner Facebook page and my political Facebook page.

I'm proud of the accomplishments we've made for the people of Kent County:

COVID-19 Pandemic

• Supported the Health Department’s robust test, trace, and isolate strategy and world-class vaccine clinic
• Ensured federal grants were distributed equitably and where they were most needed: frontline workers, schools, small businesses, non-profits, childcare providers, housing, cities, and communities most affected by the virus
• Added free WiFi hotspots in GR, EGR, and across the county to help close the digital divide so workers and students can reliably access the internet

Our Community

• Hired Kent County’s first Chief Inclusion Officer and issued a countywide commitment to rid all systems of racial injustice and discrimination
• Held polluters accountable, started cleaning up PFAS contaminants, and hired more scientists to support these efforts 
• Expanded two parks along the Grand River
• Completed the Gerald R. Ford Airport remodel and expansion project
• Signed an agreement with the Grand Rapids Downtown Development Authority (DGRI) ensuring the County, City of Grand Rapids, and DGRI are partners in spurring economic development downtown

Our Kids

• Implemented the Ready by Five Early Childhood Development initiative to ensure all Kent County children are healthy and kindergarten-ready
• Launched new efforts to aggressively find creative ways to limit exposure to lead paint and establish universal blood testing of children to end lead poisoning
• Partnered with health providers to make dental care available to all Kent County children through the Healthy Kids Dental initiative

Finally, earlier this year, I was chosen by my colleagues on the Commission to serve as Minority Vice Chair on the county executive committee, where I am proud to be a strong Democratic voice.

Before serving on the County Commission, I was an East Grand Rapids City Commissioner for 5 years (2012 to 2016) and I’m proud of what we in that time: