Wayne County outlines township paving program, proposes 1:1 match and county engineering support

Wayne County commissioners on March 11 heard details of a proposed 2024–25 Township Initiative Paving Program that would pair county funds with township matching dollars to repair township roads, Department of Public Services Director Daio told the committee.

The program, presented during the Committee on Public Services meeting, would use $7 million the commission set aside plus a recertified $7 million carryover from the prior fiscal year to leverage township contributions, Director Daio said. "We're proposing that it will be a 1 to 1 match," he told commissioners, adding the match could effectively double the county's investment.

Why it matters: Wayne County serves nine townships and oversees roughly 1,000 lane miles of township roads, Director Daio said; about 326 of those lane miles — roughly 34% — are in poor condition. Commissioners and staff framed the program as a targeted supplement to the county's existing resurfacing and federal-aid projects intended to address residential and lower-volume township streets that are not prioritized under other programs.

Program basics and standards

Under the plan as presented, the county would: - Expect a 1:1 local match from townships, with early materials referencing a maximum of $1,000,000 per township in the first round (staff said that figure would scale if the total confirmed county funding increases). - Roll out an application within 48 hours of administrative approval and begin accepting applications on March 17. Director Daio said the county will allow multi-year designs: "You can begin design for this year and do the construction next year." - Require that work meet Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and Wayne County specifications; projects will be subject to inspection and audit and must meet county permitting requirements (the county will issue required permits at no cost). - Offer engineering and construction support to townships that lack capacity, and in some cases administer bidding and contracting on behalf of a township.

"We want to make sure that the roads that we're gonna address are public roads that are in townships, not ... private roads," Director Daio said. He urged townships to prioritize projects that affect emergency services, carry higher traffic, or provide direct access to schools.

Funding, timeline and administration

Chief fiscal advisor Terrence Adams told the committee the two line items — $7 million appropriated in fiscal year 2023–24 and another $7 million in 2024–25 — yield a total of $14 million available for the initiative if the earlier allocation is recertified into the current fiscal year. "So it should be a total of 14,000,000," Adams said through the chair.

Daio said the county's goal would be to reimburse townships within 60 days of receiving invoices and to run a second-round matching opportunity if funds remain after the first round of applications. He also said contractors and materials must meet MDOT and county specifications and that work could range from large reconstruction projects requiring design to smaller "log" jobs — targeted mill-and-overlay or localized repairs that need little or no lengthy design work.

Discussion, equity and next steps

Commissioners pressed staff on outreach, equity among townships with differing local resources, and whether the county would fully fund projects for jurisdictions that cannot provide a match. Daio said the county would not automatically double the match for townships that cannot contribute the local share but would work with the county executive and communities to seek options. "If they don't have the money, I'm not gonna commit to anything at this table that I'm gonna fund or match that," he said, while noting the administration could seek additional executive support on a case-by-case basis.

Felicia Johnson, county staff, clarified the committee was receiving a discussion and not voting on the program at the meeting: "As presented today, no, you are not voting for this. It is something that the administration is gonna implement, based on the budget that this body has allocated." Commissioners asked that the administration actively notify the nine townships and copy commissioners' offices; Director Daio said staff would send letters and reach out by phone.

Past program history and other funding

Assistant Division Director of Engineering Allan Cohen told commissioners the county previously ran a township program from about 2014 through 2019 and then suspended it; the current presentation was intended to restart a structured program. Daio also noted the county receives federal-aid funds and gas-tax revenues for broader county projects but that those programs have different eligibility and priority rules and do not address many lower-volume township streets.

Votes at a glance

At the close of the committee meeting the commission moved and approved items 2 through 8 (see action list below); those were approved as a group by voice/tablet vote. The township paving program discussion was informational only and received no committee vote.

Ending

Staff said they plan to post the application and notify township officials beginning the week of March 17, with county engineering staff available to assist townships that need design, bidding or construction administration support. Commissioners asked for a written confirmation of the $14 million available figure; Director Daio said staff would provide fiscal confirmation and that management-budget staff would follow up by email.