Contact:
Matt Bach
Michigan Municipal League
[email protected], 734.669.6317
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 20, 2023
LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Municipal League has named State Senator Thomas Albert as the League’s 2023 Legislator of the Year.
Senator Albert, R-Lowell, received the recognition this week during the League’s 2023 CapCon in Lansing.
“Senator Albert’s experience and insights have been critical on a variety of issues regarding municipal finance reform, water, and housing. His leadership has been pivotal for our local communities,” said Dan Gilmartin, CEO and Executive Director of the League. “We’re grateful for his expertise and his strong advocacy on behalf of his district and on issues important to local governments across the state.”
Albert was first elected to the Michigan House of Representatives in November 2016. Once elected, he earned the trust of his local community by serving as their State Representative in the Michigan Legislature the past six years. He served as House Appropriations Chair during the 2021/22 legislative session. In November of 2022, he was elected to his first term in Senate where he continues to serve on the Appropriations Committee. He is also the top-ranked Republican on the General Government budget.
In 2022, in his role as House Appropriations Chair, he championed some of the largest investments in communities in recent memory. He helped negotiate a state budget and supplemental appropriations that invested nearly $2 billion in water infrastructure—the largest increase in revenue sharing in the last decade—and hundreds of millions of dollars for placemaking grants and housing.
Among his signature achievements is championing a $750 million investment in a Municipal Pension Debt Relief Grant Program, which will provide direct assistance to municipalities to help pay down municipal pension debt. This targeted investment in our most-underfunded communities will address one of the key cost drivers within their municipal budgets. This is a historic investment that will undoubtedly increase the collective strength of communities across Michigan.
“I am deeply honored to be recognized with this award from the League,” Albert said. “Strengthening the finances and infrastructure of local communities is an important part of making Michigan an even better place to live, work and raise a family.”
Senator Albert received the Legislator of the Year honor along with Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, D-Grand Rapids.
Photo Link for CapCon 2023: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAxNaR
About the Legislator of the Year Award: The honor is presented each year to lawmakers for their instrumental actions in the Michigan State Legislature on behalf of local communities. These individuals are recognized for their efforts in the passage of legislation that will benefit local governments or who have fought consistently to support local government.
For additional information, contact the League’s Matt Bach, assistant director of communications and media, at (810) 874-1073 (cell) and [email protected].
Michigan Municipal League is dedicated to making Michigan’s communities better by thoughtfully innovating programs, energetically connecting ideas and people, actively serving members with resources and services, and passionately inspiring positive change for Michigan’s greatest centers of potential: its communities. The League advocates on behalf of its member communities in Lansing, Washington, D.C., and the courts; provides educational opportunities for elected and appointed municipal officials; and assists municipal leaders in administering services to their communities through League programs and services. Learn more at mml.org.
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