Small towns could lose control of state road funding

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Attention editors: List of Michigan cities that could lose control of this road funding is at end of story.
By SAM INGLOT
Capital News Service
LANSING–More than 100 small Michigan communities may lose control of state road funds if Gov. Rick Snyder’s recently proposed reforms take effect.
The change in local spending is one of many Snyder outlined in a special message on roadway and transportation reforms. It would take state road funding from cities and villages that receive less than $50,000 and give it to counties to distribute.
The goal of the proposal is to cut costs by cutting layers of bureaucracy. But it has some small town officials nervous.
“That money is pretty much the only income we have in our street fund,” said Margaret Griswold, street administrator for the village of Custer in Mason County.
The money was recently used for a sidewalk improvement project, something that wouldn’t be able to happen as easily if funding is pulled, Griswold said.
“I don’t understand the point of having the county responsible for doling out that money as opposed to the state system that is already in place,” she said. “It’s one more little bite out of local control. I think that we would rather be able to have some control of that money rather than ask the county for it.”
Custer is one of three villages in Mason County that would lose funding. The others are Fountain and Freesoil.
In Mason County there has been no push to change the way roads are handled, said Fabian Knizacky, county administrator for Mason County.
Knizacky said he didn’t know where the savings would come from if funding were pulled from small communities.
He is concerned that some roads may not be high-priority roads for the county but are important to the villages and cities. That could be a concern when funding decisions are made.
Some road officials say the cities wouldn’t lose any money under the proposal.
“I would expect that if a city is receiving a certain amount of funding and that funding goes to the county level that same amount of funding would still be dedicated to that city,” said MoReno Taylor, legislative coordinator for the Michigan Association of Counties.
But Taylor said that is all speculation until legislation is drafted.
The state has 600 road agencies, Taylor said. The proposal is part of Snyder’s goal to eliminate “duplicate layers of government” to save money.
The proposal is of great concern for the Michigan Municipal League, said Jason Mancini, the organization’s legislative associate.
Mancini said the League supports the governor’s overall message but opposes the $50,000 cutoff proposal. He said he couldn’t see where there would be savings for the state and that small communities would lack funding for bigger projects.
“There simply needs to be more money,” Mancini said. “But taking away a little city or village’s twenty-some thousand dollars, that’s not the answer. If it’s going to save you any money it’s going to be very minimal but most likely it’s not going to save you any money at all.”
The governor’s office did not return several phone calls requesting comment.
The Michigan Department of Transportation reports that that these cities receive less than $50,000 in state road funding annually.
Ahmeek
Akron
Allen
Alpha
Applegate
Ashley
Barryton
Barton Hills Village
Bear Lake
Boyne Falls
Breedsville
Britton
Burlington
Byron
Camden
Carney
Casnovia
Cement City
Chatham
Clarksville
Clayton
Clifford
Copemish
Copper City
Custer
Daggett
Dansville
Eagle
Eau Claire
Elberta
Emmett
Empire
Estral Beach
Fairgrove
Fife Lake
Forestville
Fountain
Freeport
Freesoil
Gagetown
Gaines
Garden
Hanover
Harrietta
Hersey
Honor
Hopkins
Hubbardston
Kinde
Kingston
Lake Angelus
Lake Ann
Leroy
Lennon
Leonard
Mackinac Island
Maple Rapids
Martin
Maybee
Mcbride
Mecosta
Melvin
Mesick
Metamora
Michiana
Millersburg
Minden City
Montgomery
Morley
Muir
Mulliken
New Lothrop
Oakley
Omer
Onekama
Otter Lake
Owendale
Peck
Perrinton
Pierson
Port Hope
Port Sanilac
Posen
Powers
Prescott
Richland
Rosebush
Rothbury
Sand Lake
Sherwood
Shoreham
Springport
Stanwood
Sunfield
Turner
Tustin
Twining
Unionville
Vandalia
Walkerville
Whittemore
Wolverine
Woodland
© 2011, Capital News Service, Michigan State University School of Journalism. Nonmembers cannot reproduce CNS articles without written permission.

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