Committee to elect bartholomew james lower issued the following announcement on Oct. 07.
Rep. Andrea Schroeder, of Independence Township, recently introduced a proposal that would restore local control over road repair plans and give communities of all sizes more tools to fund local road repairs.
“I keep saying it, because it’s true: the roads that everyone wants fixed are at the end of their driveway,” Schroeder said. “This plan is one crucial part of a proposal that will help make sure every community gets a fair deal when it comes to fixing these critical roads. Communities shouldn’t be reaching into their neighbors’ wallets for more tax money every few years, when we could make policies that allow local governments to spend existing funds in ways that meet their infrastructure needs.”
Schroeder pointed out that last year her hometown of Independence Township passed, with greater than 50 percent of the vote, a non-renewable, four-year road millage to rebuild every local road with a 10-year warranty.
“Not every community has the resources to make critical road repairs with property taxes, but I do believe that the reason this millage was approved by voters is because they were given information—they saw the maps and plans, and they knew what they would get for their money. Every taxpayer in Michigan deserves that opportunity and this plan will give it to them,” Schroeder said.
Schroeder’s plan, House Bill 4966, would provide more flexibility to local governments so they are no longer constrained to 75% on “primary roads” and 25% on “local roads.” The plan would remove these limits and instead replace them with a requirement to submit and follow an approved asset management plan.
Schroeder’s proposal is part of a larger package that demonstrates an increased commitment to Michigan’s infrastructure by altering state regulations in key areas to give communities a better opportunity to work on roads from driveway to highway. House Bill 4966, along with the remaining bills in the package have been receiving committee hearings in the House Committee on Transportation.
Original source here.
