Local Government Focus
Local Government is More Efficient
As an engineer, I have seen time and time again the efficiency of our local units of government. If I need to talk to city or township officials, they are very accessible. They understand the area and can make decisions quickly when issues come up. The counties do well, but not as well as the townships and cities. The state? Well, that is a whole different story.
State Involvement Raises Costs
If I have to design a pathway that includes state funding, our engineering costs are automatically going to be 30% higher in order to deal with the red tape and paperwork. This does not include the added costs due to the fact that we will be required to get more easements, build wider bridges, relocate more poles and signs, and cut down more trees. Contractors also charge more to construct the job because they are required to pay prevailing wages which are generally higher than current market rates. In other words, state regulation and interference adds significant costs to getting things done. Please do not get me wrong. I work with many good people at MDOT and other state agencies, but they are forced to uphold rules and regulations that oftentimes create many more problems than they solve.
Utilizing Local Government Saves Money
Let me give you one example of a place Michigan can cut spending by utilizing local government. I had a conversation a couple months ago with someone from the Kent County Road Commission. He said that he could build and repair 25% more roads if he were just given the money that the state allots to Kent County without having MDOT's strings associated with it. Our county road commission knows how to build and fix roads. They don't need someone from Lansing telling them how to do their job. Through our elected County board and by making our voices heard at the road commission, we, the citizens of Kent County, can make sure our money is not being wasted. If MDOT were not so heavily involved in local road and pathway projects, MDOT could be downsized!
Local Government Best Represents the Community's Values
The City of Wyoming and Byron Township are not alone in their budget struggles. The state has been reducing revenue sharing and property values are decreasing causing enormous strains on our local governments. Communities around the state are looking at cutting their services and raising taxes. As painful as these decisions are, city and township halls are the place for these conversations to happen. Here citizens have a loud voice and each community can determine what their values are and decide how to move forward.
Sending More Money to Lansing so that they can Send Less Back to us just Doesn’t make Sense!
We should not raise taxes at the state level to increase revenue sharing. Sending more money to Lansing so that they can send less back to us just doesn’t make sense. We do, however, need to make sure that local municipalities and school districts have the freedoms they need to raise the money necessary to fund the services that their particular community deems necessary. We the people of these communities can make sure our leaders are held accountable for the money that they collect and spend. As long as the revenue sharing system exists, as your state representative, I will work to protect the revenue sharing that has been promised to our efficient local communities and look to cut funds from not-so-efficient state programs first.