LANSING – The Michigan Legislature would determine which projects get a slice of the $115 million in priority road funding in the 2013-14 Department of Transportation budget under the conference committee version of the budget approved Tuesday.
The budget in SB 184 , and contained within the HB 4328 omnibus bill, follows the recent budget target agreement’s outlines. The bill contains $121.3 million from the General Fund to ensure the state gets its full federal match. And it does not contain the $1.2 billion in new revenue Governor Rick Snyder proposed for roads while discussions continue on that issue.
Sen. John Pappageorge (R-Troy), chair of the Senate Appropriations Transportation Subcommittee, said he is collecting a list from senators projects they would like to see funded through the one-time $115 million pot.
“Once that list is together, we’ll meet and decide on what the priorities are going to be,” he said.
Typically, the Department of Transportation determines road funding projects through its five-year plan with the Legislature only appropriating the total funds for the department to spend.
In this case, however, Pappageorge said the Legislature would decide.
Asked about the possibility that majority Republicans would scoop up all the funds for projects in their districts and leave Democrats with nothing for their districts, Pappageorge became animated.
“Now, wait a minute. Do I look like I do that? Have you seen me do that? How many years have I been here? No,” he said. “The priority’s going to be a deliberative process, and I’m going to be part of that.”
Told he was but one person in the process, Pappageorge responded, “I happen to be the guy who’s collecting the list.”
Rep. Rob VerHeulen (R-Walker), chair of the House Appropriations Transportation Subcommittee, said he plans to follow the same protocol.
“I think it’s important to get a broad spectrum of what are the needs, what are the perceived needs,” he said.
Asked if legislators could not just contact the Department of Transportation for such a list, VerHeulen said, “I’m sure that it will not be done without MDOT involvement.”
The budget also contains the $25.8 million Snyder requested for expanding the customs plaza at the Blue Water Bridge. And the budget included $19.3 million Snyder sought to cover the costs of the state taking over the operation and maintenance of the Amtrak Wolverine Rail Line between Pontiac and Chicago. The Senate had agreed to the funding, but the House had not.
Overall, the budget contains $3.599 billion ($121.3 million General Fund). That is a 3.8 percent increase from the current year (427.4 percent increase General Fund).
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