The Senate Local Government Committee passed passed HB 5142, sponsored by Rep. Marc Ouimet (R-Ann Arbor). This legislation will allow Corridor Improvement Authorities to have a board consisting of members of different communities.  Under current law, each community must create a Corridor Improvement Authority Board then use the Urban Cooperation Act to have the boards work together. This has proven to be difficult in terms of recruiting people to be on each board, and is inefficient because the boards then have to work together. Because major corridor roads often go through multiple communities, HB 5142 will allow for creation of a joint authority board which would be a regional entity instead of a conglomeration of several individual community boards. The board shall consist of up to 3 individuals appointed by the chief executive officer of each city, village, or township that is a member of the joint authority. Each of those individuals shall be appointed for terms of 2 years, 3 years, and 4 years. The Michigan Municipal League supported this bill when it passed the House, and supported it again in Senate committee.

Andy Schor is the Assistant Director of State Affairs for the Michigan Municipal League. Contact him at (517) 908-0300 or by email at [email protected].