Inside 208

Senate Bill 922, a bill to extend the December 31, 2014 sunset for bonding for communities with a AA credit rating switching from defined benefit plans to defined contribution plans, passed out of the Senate Finance committee today.  The introduced version would extend the sunset to December 31, 2016 but [...]

House Bill 5397, a bill creating the Municipal Utility Residential Clean Energy Program Act, passed out of the House Energy and Technology Committee today.  This would enable municipalities that own electric utilities to establish a program to help provide financing to residential property owners for energy efficiency projects. This is [...]

Today the full Senate passed SB 313, legislation making changes to the Housing Law dealing with rental inspections. If you recall, the version that passed out of the senate committee last fall had detrimental impacts on rental inspections in Michigan and the health and safety of residents living in them. [...]

(Go here to easily send your senators an email opposing SB 850). This morning the Senate Reforms, Restructuring and Reinventing Committee passed Senate Bill 850, a bill that would exempt police and fire from PA 54 so they can have retroactive pay increases after a contract expires. In 2011 the legislature passed a number [...]

Tuesday afternoon, the full Senate passed a package of bills that seek to deal with the bankruptcy in the City of Detroit. The state will appropriate $194.8 million dollars that will go toward the city’s pension system. In exchange there are a number of conditions set forth in the package. [...]

Please see below from Treasury’s Office of Revenue and Tax Analysis. STATE LAW REQUIRES 2014 DEBT MILLAGE RATE CALCULATIONS TO REFLECT STATE REIMBURSEMENT FOR 2014 PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX CUT Local units of government have levied property taxes on all taxable property in its geographic boundaries, including commercial personal and industrial [...]

This afternoon the Senate Government Operations Committee passed a package of bills that seek to deal with the bankruptcy in the City of Detroit. The state will appropriate $194.8 million dollars that will go toward the city’s pension system. In exchange there are a number of conditions set forth in [...]

The National League of Cities is Hosting a Free Webinar on Walkability! What’s Walking Got to do With it? A Look at the Economic and Social Impact of Walkability Thursday, June 19 from 2:00 to 3:00 pm EDT To register click here. Walking is a critical component of our country’s [...]

The following letter is from Michigan Municipal League President Jacqueline Noonan, mayor of Utica, to League members. Noonan urges her fellow League members to support Proposal 1 on the Aug. 5, 2014 statewide ballot: The Michigan Municipal League needs your help in supporting Proposal 1 on the August 5, 2014 [...]

The House Regulatory Reform committee passed out HB 4573 today.  As introduced, it would prorate liquor license fees for first-year licensees that are granted a license for less than a full year (prorated quarterly).  During a committee hearing last week, there was discussion (and a substitute that was adopted today [...]