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State Senator Michael Webber briefs Utica City Council on budget, road funding and local grants
Summary
State Sen. Michael Webber told the Utica City Council on July 8 that lawmakers remain negotiating a state budget, with proposals that would raise statutory revenue sharing and create new road and public-safety funding streams; he also highlighted local funding requests and a recent bipartisan compromise on paid sick leave and tip credit rules.
State Sen. Michael Webber told the Utica City Council on July 8 that the state Legislature is still negotiating a budget and that proposed changes could increase money that flows to cities like Utica.
“We're still at odds a little bit on a budget,” Webber said, noting lawmakers have until the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30 to finish the work. He said the Senate proposal would increase statutory revenue sharing by about 10% and constitutional revenue sharing by about 2%.
Webber said the House has passed a long-term road funding plan that would add roughly $3.1 billion of recurring revenue; under the House plan he cited, Utica would receive about $884,000 annually for local roads and Macomb County would see roughly $90 million in new money. He cautioned allocation formulas remain unresolved, including whether funds flow through the state’s Act 51 distribution or are directed more directly to local roads.
The senator also described ongoing work on a sound-wall funding mechanism (House Bill 4084 in the Transportation Committee) that he said would function like a yearly grant administered through MDOT and that residents along the M-59 corridor had urged him to support. He said the state House passed a public-safety and violence-prevention trust fund that could factor into budget negotiations later this year.
Locally, Webber said he and state Representative Robinson have advocated for $250,000 for new police equipment for Utica and are following up to ensure previously budgeted dollars are delivered to the city. Webber also said he and colleagues negotiated a bipartisan compromise earlier in the year on paid sick leave and the restaurant tip credit that Gov. Whitmer signed.
Webber closed by noting his role co-chairing an aerospace and defense caucus and the region’s recent selection for a new fighter squadron mission at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, which he said would benefit Macomb County.
For more information, Webber directed residents to sign up for his e-newsletter at senatormichaelwebber.com or call his office at (517) 373-0994.
