Governor Grethcen Whitmer on Thursday vetoed House Bill 4120, which was aimed at helping the Keweenaw County Road Commission to build a new facility.
This legislation would amend the county road law to allow county road commissions a 30-year installment contract, instead of the current 15-year maximum. However, the bill limits this to counites with a population of 100,000 or less, which unfairly discriminates against larger counties.
“I believe that all counties across Michigan deserve access to the same contracts for their road commissions,” said Whitmer. “That is why I am eager to work with the Legislature to pass a bill that includes all 83 of Michigan’s counites so we can continue to improve infrastructure all across the state.”
Statements from State Rep. Greg Markkanen, State Reop. Beau LaFave:
State Reps. Greg Markkanen and Beau LaFave today criticized another attempt by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to shortchange rural areas with her veto of a proposal – which she originally supported – creating flexibility for critical building updates.
Legislation from Markkanen and co-sponsored by LaFave, House Bill 4120, gave the Keweenaw County Road Commission a chance to move forward with a proposal to replace an outdated maintenance facility. The plan doubled a current payment timeframe, allowing rural road commissions up to 30 years to complete property purchases.
Current law, which dates back to 1909, requires county road commissions to limit the payments to 15 years or less when purchasing property for public use – a window sometimes too demanding for smaller communities. Other municipal units have more flexibility and can currently finance such payments over 30 years.
“The law we were trying to update is just a little bit older than our maintenance building,” said Markkanen, of Hancock, noting the facility in question is 103 years old. “Past inspections have revealed structural problems with this facility and issues with electrical, mechanical and HVAC systems. Many modern vehicles can’t fit inside and repairs must occur outside where the vehicles are exposed to harsh elements and unnecessary wear and tear.
“This bill would have helped make roads safer for Northern Michigan. For our community and rural areas across Michigan, this veto is as cold as the conditions in which these future repairs will have to take place.”
LaFave, of Iron Mountain, reacted to the decision bluntly: “Whiplash Whitmer originally promised a signature for this plan and then reneged on that promise. A lot of effort was spent working with her office to understand this issue and why change was needed. But she either doesn’t understand measures that work for the Upper Peninsula, at best, or simply refuses to support U.P. communities and people, at worst.
“The governor says she wants to work with the Legislature to cultivate a roads plan and establish trust and dependability within a split government, but that’s utterly laughable when she can’t even follow through on allowing a rural county to erect a new maintenance shed.”
Remodeling the facility to fit the road commission’s needs would cost an estimated $1.8 million. A new structure, with added office space, could be built for $1.5 million.
The plan had received bipartisan support in both the House and Senate. Markkanen vowed to continue fighting for a solution and the legislators called on the governor’s office to work to develop a plan of action she would sign into law.
