Residents press council on Michigan Transportation Fund dollars and a towing contractor’s status

During public comment at the Dec. 16 Taylor City Council meeting, residents urged the council to review funding sources and contractor eligibility for recent roadwork decisions.

Kathy Witt asked the council to clarify what "MTF" stands for and whether the fund receives federal monies. "Can you give me what MTF stands for?" she asked, and later said she believed the Michigan Transportation Fund receives federal money and that, if so, the city would need to rescind certain contracts if a vendor was under suspension.

A city presenter responded that they did not know the contractor’s suspension status and said, "we would not be entering into any agreement if there was an issue." Another attendee, Tim Wong, questioned whether council members had read the tow contract and whether the body had reviewed contract language.

A council member read a summary of the Michigan Transportation Fund and Act 51 during the exchange, stating the MTF is constitutionally dedicated to transportation, receives revenue from motor fuel taxes and registration fees, and that "no mention of federal funds at all" appears in the Act 51 summary as presented at the meeting. That reading included an FY2024–25 estimated MTF total of about $3.9 billion and described Act 51’s distribution formula to state and local road agencies.

Council members instructed commenters to submit questions by email for follow-up. The chair cut off a speaker when her three minutes expired. No immediate reversal of any contract or procurement action was announced on the record at the meeting.

The council later moved into closed session to discuss towing litigation strategy.