The conventional wisdom in political circles is that a significant increase in transportation funding will be a heavy lift in the upcoming “lame duck” session of the Legislature after the November elections.
That CW might explain why, in the words of this slide in August from the House Fiscal Agency, transportation funding has been “relatively flat” since the late 1990s.
Meanwhile … “The average Michigander pays $357 annually in unnecessary repairs to their vehicles due to poor roads.”
MAC’s position: An additional penny on the state sales tax, dedicated to transportation, is the best way to improve roads.
The conventional wisdom in political circles is that a significant increase in transportation funding will be a heavy lift in the upcoming “lame duck” session of the Legislature after the November elections.
That CW might explain why, in the words of this slide in August from the House Fiscal Agency, transportation funding has been “relatively flat” since the late 1990s.
Meanwhile … “The average Michigander pays $357 annually in unnecessary repairs to their vehicles due to poor roads.”
MAC’s position: An additional penny on the state sales tax, dedicated to transportation, is the best way to improve roads.
PILT (payments in lieu of taxes) is a perpetual issue for Michigan’s northern counties, where ownership of land by the state and federal governments is common. The National Association of Counties has created an interactive feature that allows you to see exactly what the federal PILT program can do to a county’s primary source of revenue.
As seen in the example below, the federal government paid Crawford County less than $2 per acre — far, far below the “market” tax result. For 2014, Michigan counties received about $4.6 million for approximately 2.2 million acres.(For a table showing all of the FY14 federal PILT to Michigan counties, click here.)
And in the “going from bad to worse” category, the future of PILT in the 2015 federal budget remains in doubt. The authorization for PILT actually expired on Sept. 30 with the end of the 2014 fiscal year. PILT was not included in the continuing resolution that is keeping the federal government going in lieu of an enacted budget. That resolution expires at the end of December and NACo is planning a big push in November and December to get PILT back into the federal spending plan.
Stay connected to MAC’s communications channels for updates on this topic.
In the October edition of Michigan Counties, the “Ask the Expert” feature focused on the definition of “Waters of the United States” and how it is important for counties to give their views during the comment period on the federal Clean Water Act by Oct. 20, 2014.
Good news. As just reported here by the National Association of Counties, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers have agreed to extend the comment period to Nov. 14, 2014.
The State of Michigan is offering workplace safety grants of up to $5,000. Read on for details from MIOSHA:
In celebration of the 40th anniversary of Michigan’s program for workplace safety and health, the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) is offering matching grant awards of up to $5,000 to improve workplace safety and health. The grants are open to qualifying employers to purchase safety and health-related equipment. The goal of this special grant program is to create a safer and healthier work environment and reduce the risk of injury and illness to workers in Michigan.
“We are encouraging employers to step up workplace safety and health during MIOSHA’s 40-year anniversary,” said Martha Yoder, MIOSHA Director. “We are pleased to partner with small employers by offering matching grants of up to $5,000 to make improvements in workplace safety and health. With a total of $500,000 available from MIOSHA, that’s a $1 million investment in keeping Michigan’s workers safe and healthy.”
Qualify
To qualify for the MIOSHA Safety and Health Improvement Program (MiSHIP) Grant, an employer must meet the following conditions:
- Have 250 employees or less.
- Come under the jurisdiction of MIOSHA.
- A qualified safety professional or a safety committee must have conducted a site-specific evaluation and there must be a written report with recommendations based on the evaluation unless the project is for lifting equipment in residential care facilities, or fall protection equipment in residential construction.
- The grant project must be consistent with the recommendations of the safety and/or health evaluation and must directly relate to improvements that will lead to a reduction in the risk of injury or disease to employees.
- The employer must have the knowledge and experience to complete the project, and must be committed to its implementation.
- The employer must be able to match the grant money awarded and all estimated project costs must be covered.
- Residential Fall Protection Systems
- Lifting Equipment or Portable Lifting Equipment for In-home Care or Small Nursing/Residential Care Facilities
- Monitoring Equipment for Confined Space Entry
- Noise Reduction Engineering Controls
- Lock Out/Tag Out Systems
- Cooling Systems for Agriculture-based Worksites
- Eyewash Stations for the Accommodations Industry
Six Michigan counties were honored recently in the 2014 Digital Counties Survey sponsored by the National Association of Counties and the Center for Digital Government.
Oakland County was Michigan’s highest finisher after achieving 4th Place in the categories of counties with 500,000 residents or more. Also honored were Allegan, Berrien, Eaton, Jackson and Ottawa counties.
“Counties across the country are using technology to enhance services, maximize efficiency and save money,” said NACo Executive Director Matthew D. Chase in statement announcing the awards. “The Digital Counties Survey recognizes counties’ best practices and effective uses of technology to better serve their communities.”
500,000 or more residents
Oakland County, 4th
Site: http://www.oakgov.com/Pages/home.aspx
250,000 to 499,999
Ottawa County, 7th
Site: https://www.miottawa.org/
150,000 to 249,999
Berrien County, 6th
Site: http://www.berriencounty.org/
Jackson County, 8th
Site: http://www.mygovhelp.org/JACKSONCOUNTYMI/_cs/SupportHome.aspx
Up to 150,000
Eaton County, 8th
Site: http://www.eatoncounty.org/
Allegan County, 9th
Site: http://www.allegancounty.org/
