On Tuesday, March 1, the Washtenaw County Road Commission (WCRC) unanimously approved a resolution in support of a county-wide road funding ballot initiative. The resolution requests that the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners place a four-year 0.5 road millage before the voters during the August 2, 2016 primary. WCRC estimates that the initiative would improve nearly 200 miles of road improvements over the duration of the millage.
The four-year millage would function similarly to the Public Act 283 (P.A. 283) road millage that was approved by the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners in 2015 and 2016. P.A. 283 funded nearly 70 miles of additional road improvements each year it was approved. The proposed four-year road millage would levy the same amount (0.5 mills), and 20% of the funds raised would go to Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission to fund improvements on the county-wide non-motorized transportation network, including the Border-to-Border Trail and Connecting Communities program. On March 8, the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation approved a resolution in support of the millage.
The four-year millage would provide cities and villages with additional funding proportional to the amount raised within their borders, after the 20% for non-motorized paths is distributed to County Parks and Recreation Commission. The Washtenaw County Road Commission would receive the remaining funds for use on county roads that are located outside city and village limits.
What county roads will be fixed with a four-year road millage?
The Washtenaw County Road Commission plans to use millage funds to maintain the primary road network. The Road Commission has put together a draft four-year road improvement plan, which can be viewed here or viewed on the map below. WCRC is currently working with townships to determine which projects are high priorities and will adjust their road improvement plans as appropriate.
How much road funding will the millage generate?
The Road Commission expects that the millage would raise $7.2 million per year, with approximately $3.3 million going to the county road system to be distributed as equitably as is reasonable across the County’s twenty townships over the duration of the millage. Cities and villages will receive an estimated $2.5 million, with specific allocations based on the amount raised within a city/village’s borders.
How much will a 4-year road millage cost taxpayers?
A 0.5 millage costs homeowners $50 per $100,000 in taxable value. The average Washtenaw County homeowner will pay $35 per year. The millage would not cause an increase in Washtenaw County homeowners’ tax bills as compared to the previous two years. The millage is for the same amount that has been levied county-wide via P.A. 283 in 2015 and 2016.
Why not levy a third year of the one-year P.A. 283 road millage?
Although the P.A. 283 road millage has been successful, a 4-year millage allows for better long-term planning and coordination. Additionally, it allows citizens of Washtenaw County to decide if road funding is a priority for our community.
Why is a four-year road millage needed?
Road funding in Michigan is based on vehicle registration, gas and diesel taxes; some of which have not increased in nearly 20 years. There is not enough money being generated by these existing taxes to maintain the public road system in Washtenaw County. To get all the county’s roads into “good” or “fair” condition would require an estimated additional $50 million in funding.
A four-year road millage would help fill the funding gap while Washtenaw County awaits the five-year phase-in of new road funding recently approved by the state. If the state does not fully fund the new road funding package, the millage will provide Washtenaw County with a funding mechanism to continue improving county roads.
In late 2015, Governor Snyder signed a road funding package into law that will phase in new funding over five years (2017-2021), but there is some uncertainty. Half the funding -$600 million of the $1.2 billion package- is slated to come from shifts in the state’s general fund, but lawmakers have not identified how the funds should be shifted. Lawmakers are counting on continued economic growth to bring in more tax revenue that can be used towards roads. If economic growth does not continue, future legislators may set budget priorities that differ from the intentions of the road funding package.
Draft Map of WCRC’s Road Projects (2017-2020)
