The Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners (BOC) is currently reviewing the governance structure of the Washtenaw County Road Commission. Under existing state law there is a sunset of January 1, 2020, on a county board’s ability to transfer the powers, duties, and functions that are otherwise provided by law from the appointed board of county road commissioners to the county board of commissioners.
The BOC held a working session on this topic on September 19, 2019. The BOC is reviewing four governance options for the Washtenaw County Road Commission, including:
- Retain the current system
- Change road commission members from appointed to elected
- Expand the road commission board from three to five members
- Transfer road commission duties to the BOC
The BOC has scheduled two public hearings to hear comment on whether the BOC should transfer the power, duties, and functions of the road commission to the BOC. The first hearing was held on Wednesday, October 23 and the second hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, November 6. Both hearings will be held at 6:45 p.m. at the Washtenaw County Administration Building, 220 N. Main Street, Ann Arbor.
For the past 100 years, the Washtenaw County Road Commission has been governed by three road commissioners who are appointed by the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners. Road commissioners are appointed to serve 6-year terms. The road commissioners oversee a staff of approximately 130 staff members who are responsible for the maintenance and preservation of more than 1,600 miles of road in Washtenaw County. Read more about WCRC’s Board.
We are very proud of the work that we do and the service that we provide to the people of Washtenaw County, despite years of statewide underinvestment in infrastructure. In an effort to provide the BOC with as much information as they need to make an informed decision during this review, WCRC staff complied a detailed overview of the road commission. Click here to read the full report. This report was provided to each county commissioner for their reference.
