At SEMCOG’s recent General Assembly, we surveyed local government officials in attendance to help us prioritize SEMCOG’s efforts when working on policy issues at the state or federal level. SEMCOG’s Legislative Policy Platform Task Force, led by Canton Township Supervisor Pat Williams, has been working over the last few months to develop a set of policies that will guide our interactions with the State Legislature and Congress. The task force is coordinating with Jenn Flood and Andy Buczek of Dykema, who lobby on behalf of SEMCOG in Lansing and Washington, D.C.
The survey questions focused on gauging the importance of or challenges posed by issues related to the operations of local government in our region.
The first question set the tone for the afternoon. What will have the greatest impact on future local government? Two answers dominated the responses – aging infrastructure and lack of financial resources.
When we asked what is the most significant water-related environmental challenge, hot topics like the new lead and copper rule and how to deal with PFAS contamination were on people’s minds, but aging underground infrastructure was the top concern of most people in the room.
What do we need to do to grow our regional economy? The answer that got the greatest support was dealing with critical infrastructure such as roads and broadband access. However, there was also an understanding in the room that changing demographics will be a challenge in the future, as baby boomers retire en mass and we have a declining stream of young people entering the workforce.
When looking at the greatest challenges to funding local government, nearly half of the local government officials in the room were most concerned about the revenue limitations imposed by Headlee and Proposal A. Unfunded mandates, revenue sharing cuts, and a lack of other financing options all had significant support.
When queried about what type of local funding options should be made available to local governments, nearly 20 percent of those participating indicated none were needed. Over a third of those in the room thought local option sales taxes were needed. There was also support for increased vehicle registration fees, income taxes, and real estate transfer taxes. One member volunteered that it might be time to increase taxes on beer and another thought utility taxes, which are levied in Detroit but nowhere else in the state, should be expanded.
How these responses match the work of the task force
One theme became evident to all. This platform is about investing in our region. The responses that we received at the General Assembly reinforced all of the discussion that took place at task force meetings. Our future is dependent upon businesses investing in our region, upon people moving into our region and establishing roots that include investing in new homes. The SEMCOG policy platform also recognizes investment comes in many forms. We must invest in our transportation infrastructure to support our businesses and to allow residents to travel freely. We must invest in our underground infrastructure to ensure that we can provide clean drinking water and handle our wastewater and stormwater in an appropriate manner to protect surface water assets.
Business needs a skilled workforce. That all begins by investing in a strong educational system. However, education doesn’t stop with a high school or college degree. Jobs evolve, skills evolve. We need to invest in workforce training that encompasses people of all ages.
Residents expect many things. They want an economy that will provide good jobs. They expect safe neighborhoods: good schools for their children. They expect a healthy environment in which to live in. They expect interesting communities where they can shop, dine, and recreate.
Sometimes companies and new residents move into the area and invest in our region. But for most of the basics, the investment starts with us investing in our own future. The 2019-2020 SEMCOG Legislative Policy Platform outlines this simple truth.
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