State sees additional revenues - what to do?

The Governor Granholm administration recently announced that income tax revenues are higher than expected, to the tune of $100 million.  Along with this announcement the Governor stated that $25 million of these additional funds should be used to fully fund the Pure Michigan campaign.

Now before I give my own thoughts on how or where I think these extra dollars should be used, let me say up front that the Pure Michigan program is a great program and certainly has had a positive impact on not only tourism but on people feeling good about our state. 

But if we are to ensure that those visiting our state have a great experience, we need to be sure that the places they visit are clean and safe and that local officials have the tools to make them so.  And that means restoring funding to revenue sharing. 

Revenue sharing to local communities has been reduced by over $4 billion the past eight years. Coupled with property tax revenue losses because of the housing and foreclosure crisis, local officials have had to limit many quality of life services and cut everything to the bare bones, including fire and police protection.  This has led to local officials asking local taxpayers to pay more money to keep the essentials intact.

So, as the administration and legislature ponder ways on how to spend these new found dollars, lets not forget that it all starts with providing high quality local services in our communities.

Arnold Weinfeld is Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Michigan Municipal League. He can be reached at 517-908-0304 or by e-mail.