Waterford Today

State Representative Mike Harris, along with the Michigan House, has approved a significant plan to invest over $3 billion annually in road infrastructure across the state without raising taxes or incurring debt. This initiative is encapsulated in House Bills 4180-87 and 4230, which aim to redirect existing funds by eliminating earmarks for corporate incentives and other unnecessary expenditures. The bills garnered bipartisan support in the House.

Harris, representing Waterford, emphasized the urgency of addressing Michigan's deteriorating roads: "On broken Michigan roads, cars rattle over bumps and jolt in and out of gaping potholes," he said. "Enough is enough. Michigan drivers have heard politicians talk over and over about someday fixing the roads. Those do-nothing days are over. I voted to invest more than $3 billion every year to repair our roads and bridges so people can get where they need to go safely without paying more in taxes."

The Republican-led plan proposes that all state taxes collected at gas stations be allocated exclusively for road repairs, potentially generating an additional $1 billion each year. It also plans to utilize $2.2 billion from annual corporate income tax revenues.

A substantial portion of this new funding will be directed towards county, city, and village roads—areas that have been overlooked by recent debt-financed initiatives led by the governor. The plan promises more than $2.5 billion for local road improvements throughout Michigan, including a notable increase of $140 million for Oakland County Road Commission funding—a 109% boost.

Harris highlighted the condition of local streets: “Some state highways got fixed in recent years, but many local streets between our driveways and the highways are in terrible condition,” he noted. “Michigan can’t keep neglecting local infrastructure."

The proposal also includes establishing a Neighborhood Roads Fund designed to allocate money based on community road mileage rather than matching fund capabilities.

The legislation ensures that schools and local governments will continue receiving full funding even as resources are diverted toward road improvements. The proposal now moves forward to the Senate for further consideration.