Local townships appeal budget cuts to governor
Late last week, a joint letter signed by 119 Michigan township supervisors was sent to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s office requesting both supplemental action on the recently signed October budget and a seat at the table as policy and appropriations that impact local governments are considered.
In the letter, supervisors from several townships including Anne Marie Graham Hudak from Canton, Chuck Curmi from Plymouth, Mark Abbo from Northville and Kevin McNamara from Van Buren, claimed that while the approved state budget has attributes that are beneficial to local governments, such as additional funding for roads and public safety, they have concerns as to how the budget will impact the operations of townships.
The township leaders expressed concern regarding the reduction of constitutional revenue sharing which decreases revenue critical to the ability of townships to provide services to the residents. This could mean reduction of services, higher local taxes, or a loss of firefighters to some, according to the mailing.
“This year’s state budget slashed funding to local governments representing over 52 percent of Michigan’s residents – hometown governments administering safe and secure elections, collecting trash and recycling, making sure our drinking water and buildings are safe, and caring for parks, natural spaces, and families throughout Michigan,” said Graham-Hudak. “These cuts to services in our hometown – many of which we take for granted – are wrong and must be fixed by Lansing.”
“If Lansing fails to act, hometowns throughout Michigan will experience a precipitous decline in quality-of-life issues not seen since the Great Recession. These state cuts to local services may lead some towns to raise taxes just to cover the basics – but it doesn’t have to be this way. Let’s get this right Michigan: restore the funding, so our hometowns keep running.,” she said.
The letter also encourages state leaders to consider approving a supplemental budget that backfills the sales tax revenue lost due to the redirect at the pump, thereby holding local units of government harmless.
The letter asks the governor to work in tandem to provide needed services for townships.
“Local governments are the most connected to the residents we collectively serve, and we are asking you to work in partnership with us to ensure that we can provide the critical services needed in our communities throughout Michigan,” the letter stated.
