MID-MICHIGAN (WJRT) -
(02/21/12) - Tuesday afternoon Governor Rick Snyder signed legislation that could drastically change the way county road commissions operate.
The new law allows counties to take over road commissions.
Snyder believes the new legislation will bring greater accountability and efficiency to local government.
"The system works, don't break it," said Jim Lillo, the engineer-manager for the Bay County Road Commission.
Supporters think it will save money. Bay County isn't convinced.
"We don't see a huge savings in it, and it may, quite honestly, may cost counties to take us over," Lillo said.
Saginaw County Managing Director Brian Wendling says the road commissioners cost $30-35,000 a year. He says that's about two-tenths of one percent of his overall budget.
"There are a lot of other things behind the scene the need to be looked at very closely, and that's that, are there going to be expenses for committees to oversee, insurance cost, you know liability costs," added Wendling.
Wendling is worried about what happens next now that this legislation is law. "There appears to be a lot more behind the scenes here that's developing, there are 17 bills that have been recently introduced in Lansing."
Many of those new bills deal with how roads are funded.
Wendling worries that Tuesday's new legislation opens the door for even more changes that could hit your pocketbook. "If the road jurisdiction is under the county, which is a taxing authority, the road commission not being a taxing authority, legislators and the governor are going to be able to look back at the local government and say you have that taxing authority, you manage your own system. We're not going to fund it any more from the state."
Wendling says it's an issue that is not going to go away. "This is not just a local issue, this is a statewide issue, and it's something that all of them are going to have to keep a very, very close eye on."
Under the new legislation the road commissioners that are appointed, like they are in Saginaw County, could be eliminated by a majority vote of the county's board of commissioners.
As for counties that have elected road commissions, it would be up to voters to decided whether or not to do away with the road commissioners.
The legislation was introduced as House Bills 5125 and 5126. They are now Public Acts 14 and 15 of 2012.
According to the state, Michigan is the only state to have county road commissions.
