(The Center Square) – Taxpayer relief didn’t make it into Michigan’s $77 billion fiscal year 2023 budget, but about $1 billion of lawmakers’ pet projects did.
The 2022 budget would increase spending by about $7 billion, a 10% bump over the initial 2022 budget.
The $1 billion in pet projects funding is in key lawmaker districts, ranging from funding zoos to fixing certain roads and giving $20 million to a children’s hospital.
The most expensive spending project was $130 million for an Electric Vehicle teaching, training, and development center operated by the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor.
Other significant spending included $100 million for the Detroit Center for Innovation, a new research and instruction facility to be operated by a public university in downtown Detroit and another $100 million for a cancer treatment facility operated by Wayne State University.
Also in Detroit, $40 million would support the Joe Louis Greenway, a 27.5-mile greenway that will connect parks and neighborhoods.
About $20 million would fund a Holland township pipeline, $14 million would fund a maritime passenger ferry, and $2 million would fund the Traverse City Curling Club.
Other spending includes:
- $30 million for an amphitheater in Grand Rapids.
- $28 million for two unspecified business incubators.
- $11 million for a Grand Rapids museum.
- $7 million for a Traverse City senior center.
- $5 million for Midland Community Center.
- $2.7 million for a Jackson theater.
- $1 million for EV chargers.
Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich, D-Flint, said he secured $10 million for Genesee County across more than 12 programs, including $150,000 for Martus-Luna Food Pantry and the following:
- Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) initiative: $3 million for Sheriff’s Department Funding to reduce shootings and homicide.
- Hamilton Community Health Network: $1.5 million to increase access to health care for the underserved in the greater Flint area.
- Insight: $2.5 million to redevelop the former GM headquarters into an inpatient behavioral health facility.
- Educare Flint: $1 million to continue providing no-cost, full-day, year-long early education to Flint children from birth to age five.
- Ennis Center: $500,000 to support the center’s work with abused or neglected children, foster care placement and locating adoptive families, and guidance for troubled teens.
- Flint Children’s Museum: $500,000 for building developments.
- Saint Mark Community Outreach Center: $500,000 to support suicide awareness and youth and community outreach programs.
- Sylvester Broome Empowerment Village: $500,000 to develop a new facility that will offer year-round athletic programming to youth.
- Inmate Growth Naturally and Intentionally Through Education (IGNITE): $250,000 for GED, skilled trade, and college-level courses for Genesee County inmates.
- Boys & Girls Club of Greater Flint: $250,000 for building and infrastructure improvements.
Looking forward, Republican lawmakers say that they still want to provide tax relief. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has vetoed GOP-backed tax relief three times. She instead wants to boost the earned income tax credit, repeal the retirement tax and provide $500 checks to working families.
Originally published by The Center Square. Republished with permission.
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