Governor Snyder's 2016 Budget Increases Road Funding

Governor Snyder's 2016 Budget Increases 
Road Funding

LANSING - Last Wednesday, Governor Snyder signed a $54.5 billion budget that includes no long term funding for Michigan roads and bridges.

The budget includes a total of $400 million in general fund dollars for roads.

But legislators are continuing to work on a plan to fund the roads after voters overwhelming rejected Proposal 1 on May 5th.

Proposal 1 would have raised sales and fuel taxes. It could have added around $1.3 billion more a year towards the states transportation infrastructure.

The $400 million in general road funding for the 2016 fiscal year is up from $284.5 million in 2015. No general fund money was spent on roads in 2011, when Governor Snyder took office.

Most of the general fund money is used to assure the state receives the maximum amount of federal matching money available for roads.

Bill Conklin, Managing Director for the Ingham County Road Department says Ingham County will receive $2 million out of the 2016 budget.

The appropriation will help balance Ingham County's budget to help provide the level of service they have had the last several years, according to Conklin.

Some GOP Senate leaders have vowed to remain in session most of the summer, to work on the road funding issue.

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