Michigan lawmakers work late into the night on an $83 billion budget
Lansing – Michigan state lawmakers worked late Wednesday night to draft an $83 billion budget proposal for next year that includes $409 million in special projects funding, a 2.5 percent increase in university operations and a new approach to allocating funds to K-12 schools.
As of 11:45 p.m. Wednesday, nearly 14 hours into the day’s session, the House and Senate had not yet voted on the plan. But they were expected to take up the bills, which would provide money for housing, government agencies and even baseball fields, at some point during the day.
Among the most controversial aspects of the proposals is how they treat Michigan’s schools. According to an analysis of the bills reviewed by The Detroit News, the School Aid Fund would receive $20.6 billion in funding in the next fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. That’s down from the current year’s $21.5 billion.
Lawmakers are not planning to increase public school base funding, the basic funding that has traditionally been used to pay for classrooms. Instead, the state plans to allocate $598 million to reduce the amount that school districts must pay into their employees’ pension funds, freeing up money for other school expenses.
However, the Michigan Association of Superintendents & Administrators criticized this approach in a communication to its members, arguing that it was a one-time interruption of pension payments.
“The proposed budget for the coming fiscal year does not provide long-term financial relief and will result in layoffs this fall and in the future as funding for our schools will not be sufficient to keep pace with inflation, rising health care costs and the expiration of federal aid funds,” the school superintendents association said in a statement.
But Bobby Leddy, spokesman for Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer, claimed the budget would provide districts with more funding than inflation allows and give schools the flexibility to use the funds to meet the needs of individual students.
“It is shocking that a group of lobbyists who falsely claim to be on the side of students and educators are now calling for defunding Michigan’s K-12 schools just days before the July 1 deadline,” Leddy said. “We will not allow that to happen.”
More: Michigan school associations warn that state budget plan “will lead to layoffs”
July 1, a Monday, is the legislature’s self-imposed deadline for preparing the state budget. It is also the start of the fiscal year for most Michigan public schools, allowing districts to make staffing decisions before the next school year begins in late August or early September.
The current state budget is around $82 billion.
For universities and community colleges, the new budget proposal calls for a 2.5 percent increase in operating costs. In addition, $100 million would be earmarked for housing programs.
Parks, sports fields and Mackinac Island
The budget also includes $335 million in so-called “improvement grants” to fund more than 100 projects across the state.
The list of special projects was published late Wednesday evening, a few hours before a possible vote.
Potter Park Zoo in Lansing is slated to receive $10 million, downtown Mount Clemens redevelopment will receive $5 million, Detroit’s public radio station WDET will receive $1 million and an indoor sports facility in Shelby Township will receive $2.5 million, according to the analysis reviewed by The News.
In addition, $1 million will go toward “infrastructure improvements” to the stadium where the Lansing Lugnuts minor league baseball team plays, and $1.5 million will go to Jimmy John’s Field in Utica, home of the United Shore Professional Baseball League.
In addition, $3.2 million would go toward land acquisition on Mackinac Island, $10 million toward a youth sports complex in Frankenmuth and $1.9 million toward funding for a fire truck in Troy.
The Downtown Boxing Gym in Detroit would receive $2 million, the Canton Township municipal building would receive $1 million, parks and recreation improvements in Warren would receive $1 million, and vote centers in East Lansing, Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids and Lansing would receive $4 million.
Infrastructure projects
The budget proposal also includes funding for various transportation projects in the Detroit metropolitan area, including $6.5 million for the construction of a noise barrier along Interstate 75 in Southgate and $5 million for street maintenance and cleaning in Detroit.
There is also $3.2 million for the Palmer Road bridge over Interstate 275 in Wayne County and $5 million for Wayne Road in Romulus.
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