Issue Position: Roads and Infrastructure

Issue Position

Roads and Infrastructure should be one of our top priorities. This includes roads, bridges, water and sewer infrastructure. The 2015 legislation will continue to provide an increased revenue stream to address our major roads and critical bridges but it will not solve the problem of unmet water and sewer infrastructure needs. We need to have a broad discussion on how we are going to address the unmet needs.

o Roads: It's time to amend Public Act 51. Livingston County is 83rd in funding out of 83 counties and is still one of the fastest growing counties in the State. Long term solutions are needed and the amending the existing funding allocations under PA 51 would be a start.

o Build better roads and enforce warranties.

o Subdivision Roads: The condition of subdivision roads is becoming a major issue impacting property values, family budgets and emergency services. Public subdivision roads are the responsibility of Cities and the County Road Commission. Townships have no responsibility for roads yet are pursuing local millages to address the failing roads. These monies are being leveraged to repair primary and secondary roads but do not consider public and private subdivision roads. State funding to cities has diminished and property value reductions seen during the recession greatly impacted local efforts to maintain the road systems. Having a broader conversation on roads, including subdivision roads and how they are funded, needs to be part of the PA 51 conversation.

o Direct funding -- We need to consider how we can route the funds directly to the Agency they were intended. This would eliminate unnecessary layers of government and create greater efficiency and cost savings.

o Water and Sewer -- We have aging infrastructure, including large and small systems, throughout the State. Any program developed at the State level needs to address all systems and provide equitable solutions: No more picking winners and losers.

o Avoid over-regulation -- Any response to a problem needs to avoid knee-jerk reaction with a deliberate discussion with the how, why, and when questions being answered.

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