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House sponsor seeks official 'Boat Town USA' designation for Harrison Township; committee hears local support
Summary
Representative Saint Germain presented House Bill 4010 to designate Harrison Township as the state’s 'Boat Town USA' symbol; supporters emphasized tourism and marine businesses, while colleagues questioned whether a bill or resolution is the correct vehicle and whether the designation sets a precedent.
Representative Saint Germain presented House Bill 4010 to the committee, asking members to designate Macomb County’s Harrison Township as the state symbol "Boat Town USA" in order to promote boating, tourism and the marine economy.
"Designating Harrison Township as the state symbol of Boat Town USA is long overdue," Saint Germain told the panel, citing local marine businesses, marinas and annual boating events on Lake St. Clair.
Saint Germain provided several figures in support of the designation, as presented to the committee record: more than 50 miles of coastline and canals within the township, four public boat launches, 26 marinas, about 8,000 boat slips, over 3,500 waterfront homes in Harrison Township and more than 53,000 boats registered in Macomb County. He said events such as the township’s large raft‑off and national bass tournaments bring tourism revenue.
Members asked procedural and policy questions. Vice Chair McFarlane asked why the sponsor chose a bill rather than a resolution; Saint Germain replied that the state maintains a number of official symbols and that a bill was an appropriate way to recognize the community and promote the industry. Representative Woodin asked whether other communities have state designations and whether the naming creates an uneven precedent; the sponsor said he was not aware of other local communities with similar official designations and suggested the measure is intended as promotional for the statewide boating industry.
Representative Wirtz asked whether the designation would offer legal protections for local marketing or paraphernalia; Saint Germain said he had not researched intellectual‑property implications and would look into it.
The committee clerk read supporting statements placed on file for the record from multiple local and industry figures, who did not wish to speak: Brett Meyer (listed as from Michigan Voting Industries Association in the record), Ken Verquette, Harrison Township supervisor; Candace Miller, Macomb County public works commissioner; Mark Hackel, Macomb County executive; Steven Debraf, Freedom Boat Club; Kelly Lavota (affiliation recorded as Macomb County Chamber presidency in the record); and Anthony Forlini, Macomb County clerk.
No final vote on House Bill 4010 was recorded in the transcript excerpt; the bill received an overview and questions and passed to additional committee business.
