Inside208

Budget Deal Finalized in Lansing; Action Taken on Regional Transit Proposal

Posted on December 6, 2019 by Dene Westbrook

The Michigan House and Senate returned to session this week and succeeded in finalizing a budget deal with the Governor to restore a number of the items the Governor had vetoed at the beginning of the fiscal year along with funding some of her top priorities.

The roughly $500-plus million in spending items included a restoration of the vetoed Payments In Lieu of Taxes line items for local units of government and other lines that had been previously cut impacting counties, townships, cities and villages.

The Governor also secured $10 million for 2020 census-related activities. Senate Bills 152 and 154 have been returned to the Senate where they await final action next week, along with a potential change to the State Administrative Board’s power to shift appropriated funds around within a department’s budget. The specific proposal has not been released yet, but the House did pass House Bill 5176 over to the Senate late yesterday as a vehicle for making any changes to the State Ad Board next week.

In other action, the House Transportation committee approved HB 5229 which paves the way for Wayne, Oakland and Washtenaw counties to develop a regional transit proposal without Macomb County. Using the existing Municipal Partnership Act, a joint endeavor created under this legislation would be allowed to levy taxes up to 5 mills and not have those mills count against the millage limits for each participating unit of government. The committee also reported legislation that provides additional spending flexibility for local road agencies. And the House Local Government & Municipal Finance committee reported legislation aimed at helping residents facing tax foreclosure to stay in their home. House Bill 5124 is being pursued by the city of Detroit and Wayne County and now awaits action next week before the House Ways & Means committee.

For the latest from Lansing, read our Inside 208 blog and watch Monday Morning Live on Facebook, 10:30 am, Dec. 9.

Posted by Matt Bach on behalf of Chris Hackbarth, the League’s director of State and Federal Affairs.

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