Contact:
Matt Bach
Michigan Municipal League
c: (810) 874-1073; [email protected]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 26, 2022

Statement from MML Board President Barb Ziarko in Response to State of Michigan Budget Address

LANSING, MI – In response to today’s Michigan state budget presentation, Barb Ziarko, Councilmember from Sterling Heights and President of the Michigan Municipal League Board of Trustees, issued the following statement:

“The budget proposed by Governor Whitmer makes strategic investments that will improve quality of life, invests in the basic needs of people and places, supports local businesses, and strategically positions Michigan for a more prosperous future.

Through direct investment in revenue sharing, water infrastructure, road and bridges, and public safety, the Governor’s budget will allow our communities to begin addressing long standing issues and focus on an equitable recovery from the pandemic.

Our communities have responded when called upon to help, provided support to their residents and businesses, and delivered critical services during a time of great need. We are thankful the Governor’s budget recommendations recognize the important role of communities and begins to align with priorities identified in partnership with others to make key investments that capitalizes on the economic value of thriving communities, advances equity, builds community wealth, supports entrepreneurship, prioritizes the need for talent, and spurs business development.

We look forward to working closely with the Governor and lawmakers in a bipartisan manner to strategically invest in key areas that include infrastructure, fiscal health, workforce housing, thriving communities, strong economy, and public health and safety.”

Some of the budget highlights the League will focus on during the budget process include:

• Cities, villages, and townships, total statutory funding, $292.9 million
  • 5 percent ongoing increase and a 5 percent one-time payment, $26.6 million
  • Hold harmless for retroactive census claw back, $50 million
    • Support to cities, villages, and townships that lost population in the 2020 United States Census to counteract negative adjustments to constitutional payments
• MI Clean Water Community Support Expansion, $500 million
  • Supports lead action level exceedance community support program and impaired community water relief program
  • Supports lead service line replacements, consolidation of failing septic systems, and contamination risk reduction
• Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Water investments, $214 million
  • Lead service line replacement o Water treatment facility upgrades and modernization
  • Stormwater system planning, restructuring, and development
• Community technical assistance grants for lead line replacement, $48 million
• Local roads and bridges, $94.4 million
• High water infrastructure, $34 million
• Brownfield Bridge Fund, $200 million
  • • Provides bridge funding for brownfield projects while waiting for tax capture revenue to accrue, allowing for more investment, specifically for the creation of workforce housing and industrial spec space

For additional information contact the League’s Matt Bach, assistant director of strategic communications, at (810) 874-1073 (cell) and [email protected].