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State rep: $2.5 million secured for Hazel Park fire trucks; library elevator funding tied up in state "clawback"
Summary
State Rep. Natalie Price told the Hazel Park council Jan. 13 that Rep. Mike McFall secured about $2.5 million to buy fire trucks for Hazel Park, but money earmarked for a library elevator (about $200,000) was cut amid a state appropriation "clawback" now the subject of litigation.
State Representative Natalie Price told the Hazel Park City Council on Jan. 13 that state legislators had secured about $2.5 million for the city to purchase new fire trucks and that she and her staff would continue to advocate for municipal revenue sharing and other appropriations on behalf of Hazel Park.
Price, who identified herself as a former Berkeley city council member and a member of the House appropriations and tax-policy committees, said the $2.5 million was obtained through the work of Rep. Mike McFall and Sen. Stephanie Chang. "We know that Mike McFall was able to secure $2.5 million for Hazel Park for fire trucks," Price said. The funding is intended to cover much of the purchase; council discussion later in the meeting estimated the city would finance the remaining difference.
Price also updated the council on a separate funding loss that affects the Hazel Park Library. She said roughly $200,000 that had been allocated to a new library elevator was swept up in a broader House Republican "clawback" of appropriations. Price said Attorney General opinions and a pending lawsuit have complicated distribution: "Attorney General Nestle issued an opinion arguing a provision ... [is] unconstitutional," she told the council. Price said House Republicans are suing to enforce the clawback, and the litigation could freeze spending even on projects already approved and signed by the governor.
Price noted the library elevator is currently inoperable, which limits second-floor use for events, and that new state safety regulations require elevators built before 1972 to be replaced rather than retrofitted; she said Hazel Park has until 2028 for compliance. "We know that your Hazel Park Library elevator is currently inoperable," Price said, and her office is monitoring the legal developments and offering help to secure the funds if possible.
Council members and the city manager asked Price to keep the city updated. Price reiterated her office would continue to press appropriations committees and to serve as a resource for municipal needs.
What happens next: Price said her staff has requested updates from the House fiscal office and will continue to monitor the lawsuit and any administrative instructions about spending the appropriated money. The council did not take formal action on the library matter during the meeting.
