Mr. Swets, a member of the firm practicing in our Grand Rapids and Ann Arbor offices, has practiced in the area of public finance and municipal law since 1990. He serves as bond counsel to a wide variety of counties, drain commissioners, cities, villages and townships and their authorities and has extensive experience working on all kinds of bond issues for local municipalities throughout the state of Michigan, having represented clients in over 1,000 public finance projects over his career.
Projects that Mr. Swets has handled for public sector entities have included projects to construct or improve water systems, sanitary sewer systems, storm sewers and county drains, streets and roads, streetscape improvements, sidewalks, trail systems, parks, recreational facilities, marinas, city halls, court houses, public works facilities, fire stations and emergency services facilities, vehicles and equipment, police facilities, jail facilities, recreation centers, senior centers, libraries, schools, road commission facilities, solid waste disposal facilities, lake level improvements, lake improvements, and energy conservation improvements.
These projects have been financed by various different types of bonds, including unlimited tax general obligation bonds, limited tax general obligation bonds, special assessment bonds, building authority bonds, tax increment bonds and revenue bonds These issues have been sold in public offerings, bank placements and bonds sold through state and federal programs.
Mr. Swets also works with clients on economic development projects, including new development financed through tax increment finance authorities, downtown development authorities and local development finance authorities and corridor improvement authorities, as well as redevelopment projects financed through brownfield redevelopment authorities.
In addition, Mr. Swets works with economic development corporations to finance projects for 501(c)(3) organizations and other qualifying obligors.
In addition to bonds issued for capital projects, Mr. Swets works with issuers on issues to finance the working capital needs of the issuers and on bonds to fund the unfunded pension and OPEB obligations of the issuers.
Projects that Mr. Swets has handled for public sector entities have included projects to construct or improve water systems, sanitary sewer systems, storm sewers and county drains, streets and roads, streetscape improvements, sidewalks, trail systems, parks, recreational facilities, marinas, city halls, court houses, public works facilities, fire stations and emergency services facilities, vehicles and equipment, police facilities, jail facilities, recreation centers, senior centers, libraries, schools, road commission facilities, solid waste disposal facilities, lake level improvements, lake improvements, and energy conservation improvements.
These projects have been financed by various different types of bonds, including unlimited tax general obligation bonds, limited tax general obligation bonds, special assessment bonds, building authority bonds, tax increment bonds and revenue bonds These issues have been sold in public offerings, bank placements and bonds sold through state and federal programs.
Mr. Swets also works with clients on economic development projects, including new development financed through tax increment finance authorities, downtown development authorities and local development finance authorities and corridor improvement authorities, as well as redevelopment projects financed through brownfield redevelopment authorities.
In addition, Mr. Swets works with economic development corporations to finance projects for 501(c)(3) organizations and other qualifying obligors.
In addition to bonds issued for capital projects, Mr. Swets works with issuers on issues to finance the working capital needs of the issuers and on bonds to fund the unfunded pension and OPEB obligations of the issuers.
Education & Credentials
Education
University of Michigan Law School
J.D.- cum laude
Calvin College
B.A.Bar Admission
Acknowledgements
- Fellow, American College of Bond Counsel
- Grand Rapids Magazine
- "Top Lawyers," Public Finance Law, 2020
Prominent Assignments
- Bond counsel to the Southern Clinton County Municipal Utilities Authority in connection with the issuers of $21,600,000 sanitary sewer system revenue bonds to finance improvements to the Authority’s clean water plant.
- Bond counsel to the Lakewood Wastewater Authority in a series of sanitary sewer system revenue bonds issued over a number of years in the amount of over $26,000,000 to improve the wastewater treatment plant and reconstruct major portions of the issuer’s collection system.
- Bond counsel to the City of Dowagiac in the issuance of over $10,000,000 of sanitary sewer system revenue bonds for improvements to the wastewater treatment facility and the collection improvements.
- Bond counsel to the City of South Haven in the issuance of $12,535,000 of water supply system revenue bonds to fund improvements to the issuer’s water system.
- Bond counsel to the City of St. Joseph in the issuance of $13,787,500 of water supply system revenue bonds to fund improvements to the issuer’s water system.
- Bond counsel to the City of Mt. Pleasant in the issuance of $18,000,000 of water resource recovery system revenue bonds to fund improvements to the issuer’s water resource recovery system.
- Bond counsel to Meridian Charter Township in multiple series of bonds in the amount of $23,100,000 to finance reconstruction of local streets in the Township through the issuance of general obligation unlimited tax bonds.
- Bond counsel to the Charter Township of Grand Blanc in the issuance of special assessment bonds over more than a 10 year period to reconstruct local streets in township subdivisions.
- Bond counsel to the City of Allegan to issue general obligation limited tax bonds in the amount of $2,690,000 to fund construction of streetscape improvements through the downtown area of the city.
- Bond counsel to the City of Mt. Pleasant in the issuance of $3,685,000 general obligation limited tax bonds for the renovation of an historic building to serve as city hall.
- Bond counsel to the City of Buchanan Building Authority in the issuance of $4,930,000 of building authority bonds to finance construction of new public works facilities.
- Bond counsel to the Township of Green Lake in the issuance of general obligation limited tax bonds in the amount of $3,135,000 to finance construction of a new fire station.
- Bond counsel to the City of Cedar Springs in the issuance of general obligation unlimited bonds in the amount of $3,115,000 to finance construction of a new fire station.
- Bond counsel to the Charter Township of Grand Blanc in the issuance of $7,710,000 of general obligation limited tax refunding bonds to refinance bonds issued for the construction of police department facilities.
- Bond counsel to the City of East Grand Rapids in the issuance of $5,180,000 of general obligation unlimited tax bonds to fund improvements to the city’s parks.
- Bond counsel to the Montgomery Drain Drainage District in connection with the issuance of $46,795,000 in several series of bonds for financing the reconstruction of the Montgomery Drain in the Cities of Lansing and East Lansing.
- Bond counsel to the County of St. Joseph in the issuance of $4,454,080 of energy conservation bonds to fund energy conservation improvements to county facilities.
- Bond Counsel to the City of Port Huron in the issuance of pension bonds in the amount of $52,710,000 to finance unfunded pension liability of the City.
- Bond counsel to the County of Grand Traverse in the issuance of several series of pension bonds in the amount of $50,125,000 to finance unfunded pension liability of the county and the county medical care facility.
- Bond counsel to the Grand Traverse County Economic Development Corporation in the issuance of bonds in the amount of $4,000,000 to fund a YMCA facility.
Professional Involvement
- Fellow, American College of Bond Counsel, 2023
- State Bar of Michigan
- Grand Rapids Bar Association
- National Association of Bond Lawyers
- Michigan Association of County Drain Commissioners (Consultant Member)
- Michigan Association of Municipal Attorneys
- Michigan Local Government Management Association (Consultant Member)
- Public Corporations Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan