One Week Left to Nominate Municipal Leaders for Guido and Sinclair Awards

Nominations for the Guido and Sinclair awards are due Nov. 1.

Time is running out to nominate local government leaders for one of two Michigan Municipal League awards. Nominations are open from now until Nov. 1 for the Guido and Sinclair Awards.

The Guido and Sinclair Awards are the top honors given to individuals by the Michigan Municipal League.

The Michael A. Guido Leadership and Public Service Award acknowledges an outstanding municipal chief elected official dedicated to their community and to the advocacy efforts on their community’s behalf in Lansing and Washington, D.C. Nominate your outstanding leader here.

The Jim Sinclair Exceptional Service Award honors an outstanding individual who has provided exemplary service to the League and its mission. Submit your nomination here.

View past recipients of these awards and all MML awards here.

Michigan Public Service Commission Seeks Communities to Fill Out Survey by Nov. 14

There is an important survey that our friends at the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) have asked us to share with our members.

The MPSC is the agency designated to implement Public Act 480 of 2006, the Uniform Video Services Local Franchise Act. Pursuant to Section 12(2) of the Act, the MPSC shall file an annual report to the Governor and Legislature that includes information on the status of video service competition in Michigan.

To assist MPSC staff with gathering information for the report, local communities are asked to complete an electronic survey, which is located at michigan.gov/mpsc beginning October 17, 2022. Responses to the survey are due by November 14, 2022. Please note that the survey will not be available on the website after November 14, 2022. You may find the survey by following these steps:

  1. Go to michigan.gov/mpsc and click on “Regulatory Information” at the top of the page.
  2. Next, scroll down and click on “Telecommunications” at the bottom.
  3. Lastly, click on “Video/Cable Regulatory Information” and you will find the survey under the “Provider & Franchise Entity Information” category.

The survey is quick and easy and should take only a few minutes of your time. It is important that MPSC Staff receives feedback from franchise entities. Your feedback will help to provide MPSC Staff with a better insight of the video/cable issues that may be occurring in your community. While MPSC staff cannot provide you with answers to the survey questions, please contact staff if you require clarification regarding the questions being asked.

In addition to the survey, please view two Consumer Tips documents that provide information regarding filing a video/cable complaint with the MPSC. One is relevant to customers (click here), the other to a municipality (click here). MPSC also encourages community officials to share this information with their residents.

You may also find the complaint information online at michigan.gov/mpsc by clicking the “Consumer Information” link at the top of the page. You may consider posting the MPSC contact information and/or a link of our Consumer Tips to your community’s webpage. accordance with PA 480 of 2006, the Uniform Video Services Local Franchise Act, the Michigan Public Service Commission is soliciting feedback in its annual franchise survey.

The Michigan Municipal League is encouraging our members to participate.

U.S. Economic Census Set to Begin – Here are the Details for Michigan Communities

The Michigan Municipal League is sharing this at the request of the U.S. Census Bureau. The hope is that local communities share this information with local businesses because the information collected from this census will be very helpful for communities that use it to attract new businesses, assess the economic health of their localities, understand the characteristics of their business base, and compare their community to other areas. Individuals can use census results to identify emerging job markets and growing industries.

The Economic Census is about to begin and is the official five-year measure of American business and the economy. Data provided by businesses fuels the most comprehensive economic statistics available, representing all U.S. industries and geographies. The Census will be conducted beginning in January 2023 – response is due by March 15th and is required by law.

A link about the Economic Census geared to state and local stakeholders can be found here, a promotional link can be found here, and an FAQ about the Economic Census can be found here. These sites will be updated and built out in the coming weeks, so please check back periodically.

The 2022 Economic Census is a legitimate survey of the U.S. Census Bureau, and a response is required by law. Data provided by businesses fuels the most comprehensive economic statistics available, representing all U.S. industries and geographies. Data collection for the 2022 Economic Census will start on October 24, 2022, with selected small companies receiving requests for industry classification information.

The main mailing of the 2022 Economic Census will begin on January 31, 2023, with responses due on March 15, 2023. Businesses that receive notification are required by law under Title 13, Section 224, to respond. Respondents will use an online portal, making filing easier, while also improving data quality and reducing costs.

The Economic Census helps every American. Businesses use Economic Census data to make decisions about where to locate, how much to produce, and to compare their performance to other businesses in their industry or community.

Local communities use Economic Census results to attract new businesses, assess the economic health of their localities, understand the characteristics of their business base, and compare their community to other areas. Individuals can use census results to identify emerging job markets and growing industries. Click on the following link (Census Business Builder: Small Business Edition) to see how Census economic data can profile businesses and their customers for various localities.

See Uses of Data.

Get more information about the Economic Census here.

Applications Now Being Accepted for Michigan Spark Grants

The new Michigan Spark Grants program includes $65 million specifically for local parks and aimed at improving and redeveloping existing public outdoor recreation in communities that have 1) faced barriers to accessing such funding, and 2) experienced negative effects from the COVID-19 pandemic. The program welcomes applications starting Oct. 24. If you’re planning to apply, here are tips to get you started.

Three things to do right now

There are always some housekeeping details required of all grant applicants, those little things that help the grantmaking authority move and track applications and funding throughout the process. Anyone applying for a Michigan Spark Grant will need to do these three things before submitting an application:

Save the date: Oct. 28 webinar

There’s a lot to know and a lot to do! Preparing a grant application, especially for anyone new to the process, can feel overwhelming. Well, brush aside those concerns and mark your calendar for 10:30-11:30 a.m. (Eastern) Friday, Oct. 28, because the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is hosting a webinar to explain the process, answer your questions and ease any application anxiety. Click here to register.

Watch the web for timeline, FAQs and other news

For full details on all of these topics, follow the Michigan Spark Grants webpage. Over the next few weeks, the DNR will be adding a thorough program overview, details on scoring criteria, webinar specifics, key dates (including the Dec. 19 application deadline), updated FAQs and other information to keep you on track. Below are helpful links that can provide additional assistance as you prepare your application.

About the program

It’s a milestone moment for outdoor recreation in Michigan: a $65 million grant program to help local communities that want to create, renovate, or redevelop public outdoor opportunities for residents and visitors—especially those whose economic opportunities and health were hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Administered by the DNR, Michigan Spark Grants will support projects that provide safe, accessible, public recreation facilities and spaces to improve people’s health, introduce new recreation experiences, build on existing park infrastructure, and make it easier for people to enjoy the outdoors. This grant opportunity is possible because of the Building Michigan Together Plan, signed in March 2022, which included a historic infusion of federal funding in our state and local parks.

Want to stay informed? Sign up for our recreation grants list to receive email updates when there is news to share.

Program goals

  • Leverage federal, state, local and private resources toward a sustainable public recreation development program.
  • Provide a clear, simple and equitable grants distribution process in support of public outdoor recreation.
  • Align project partners and community organizations so resources are maximized, and roles and responsibilities are clearly outlined and balanced.

Addressing community need

The Michigan Spark Grants program is aimed at helping improve and redevelop existing public outdoor recreation in communities that have historically experienced barriers to accessing these types of grants. Funding priority will be given to areas with a high proportion of households that are struggling financially, a high number of residents with physical and mental disabilities, and a lack of public recreation opportunities.

Eligible applicants

  • Applicants must be local units of government or public authorities legally established to provide public recreation.
  • Applicants may include a regional or statewide organization or consortium of local units of government or public authorities legally established to provide public recreation.
  • An eligible financial match is encouraged but not required.
  • A community planning process is encouraged but not required.

Eligible projects

  • Projects must support and enhance neighborhood features that promote improved health and safety outcomes or address the increased repair or maintenance needs in response to significantly greater use of public facilities in local communities that have been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Projects may include the development, renovation or redevelopment of public recreation facilities, and the provision of recreation-focused equipment and programs at public recreation spaces.
  • Funds may be used for activities such as, but not limited to, project review, planning, architecture and engineering services, construction, oversight and compliance activities associated with state and federal requirements, as applicable.
  • Projects must be completed by Dec. 31, 2026, on public land with the primary purpose of providing outdoor recreation.

Application scoring criteria

Applications that address existing park infrastructure will be given priority. Consideration will be given to applications that complete critical trail projects or provide access to new opportunities that currently don’t exist within a local community. Scoring will be based on the following criteria, listed in order of priority:

  • Public benefit and anticipated outcomes
  • Financial and social considerations
  • Access to project site
  • Access to new opportunities for people of all abilities
  • Clarity of scope and ability to execute
  • Renovation and long-term maintenance

Available funding

A total of $65 million of coronavirus state and local fiscal recovery funds was made available through Public Act 53 of 2022. Individual grant amounts – ranging from a minimum of $100,000 to a maximum of $1 million – will be distributed in three rounds:

  • Round one: $15 million during the week of Jan. 30, 2023.
  • Round two: $25 million in spring 2023.
  • Round three: $25 million in summer 2023.

If you’re not finding answers to your questions in this blog or on the Spark Grants webpage, please reach out to the League’s ServeMICity Program or email DNR-Grants@Michigan.gov for assistance.

John LaMacchia is the League’s director of state & federal affairs. He can be reached at jlamacchia@mml.org or 517-908-0303.

Treasury State and Local Fiscal Relief Funds Help Center Changes

On Friday October 14, the U.S. Department of Treasury announced that their State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds email and phone help center assistance to local governments will be dramatically scaled back beginning today, Monday, October 17, 2022.

We have been working with the National League of Cities (NLC) and have been tracking the recent possibility of this unfortunate outcome after the Department of Treasury’s Deputy Secretary sent a warning to all State and Local Fiscal Relief Fund (SLFRF) grantees in September. That message informed grantees that funding for call center support – which provides an entry point for recipients to bring their questions or issues, including around payments and reporting – will be shut down. Additionally, that email noted that ongoing and future email support would be sharply curtailed. While this might seem like a quick order of events, Treasury has been aware of the funding shortfall for months and has been trying to receive authority from Congress to reallocate administrative funds from other relief-era programs to staff the help centers.

The specific impact on cities and villages is unclear at this moment, but in the short-term, the ability to get questions answered will certainly be greatly reduced. Further, the help center’s lack of ability to respond to questions will likely hurt our small local governments the hardest, as these municipalities already have the fewest amount of resources to implement SLFRF programs.

To try and ease any consequential burden, the Department of Treasury has provided access to frequently asked questions from grantees by clicking on the Self-Service Resources button at the top of the SLFRF page. Looking forward, almost all non-entitlement units of local government (NEUs) do not have to file their next annual report until April 2023. This provides some time for there to be an adequate solution implemented to address the lack of support from the Department of Treasury for SLFRF grantees, since the filing deadline is when we saw many of the problems and questions arise.

The potential strain on cities and villages that results from ending the call and email centers, is an issue that MML and NLC both recognize as significant and are committed to elevating this issue with Congress, in hopes to achieve a legislative fix as soon as possible.

What’s next?

MML stands ready to support our cities and villages as they seek guidance during this time. Our ServeMICIty program is specifically designed to answer your questions and help provide the assistance you need. In the absence of robust federal assistance, we encourage you to utilize this service and make the most of your ARP funding. For more information about ServeMICity, please click here.

John LaMacchia is the League’s director of state & federal affairs. He can be reached at jlamacchia@mml.org or 517-908-0303.

New Election Law Brings Changes to the QVF, Pre-Processing of Ballots, and AV Drop Boxes

Last week, Governor Whitmer signed HB 4491, now PA 195 of 2022, which amends several aspects of the election process, including procedures for updating the qualified voter file (QVF), adjusts the protocol for the preprocessing of ballots ahead of Elections Day, and chain of command procedures involving. Members may recall larger legislative packages in the House and Senate that address a wide array of election-focused reforms. The key changes that impact our members are summarized below:

Changes to QVF procedures:

  • The responsibility of removing deceased voters from the QVF will now be shifted to the county clerks rather than being shared with township and city clerks. Beginning January 1, 2023, when the county clerk updates the QVF to remove deceased votes, an electronic notification will be sent to city and township clerks to complete the cancellation.
  • If the Secretary of State (SOS) removes the registration of a deceased voter from the QVF within 24 hours, the electronic notification must be transmitted to the city and township clerk to finalize the cancellation.
  • Beginning January 1, 2023, between the first Friday in July before an August election and 16 days before that election, and between the first Friday in October before a November election and 16 days before that election, each county clerk would have to update the QVF to remove deceased voters weekly, by the close of business on Friday. Between 15 days and one day before an election, each county clerk would have to update the QVF daily by the close of business. The county clerk would have to notify city and township clerks of any voter registrations that need to be canceled after 4 p.m. on the day before an election so that the clerk can cancel the registration.

Pre-processing of ballots:

  • PA 151 of 2022 would remove a 2020 sunset on provisions that allowed clerks in cities or townships with a population of at least 25,000 to perform specific absent voter (AV) ballot preprocessing activities before Election Day, as long as they gave notice of that action to the SOS at least 20 days before Election Day. These provisions currently only apply for activities relating to the November 2020 general election, but the bill would enact these provisions indefinitely for all primary and general elections. However, the minimum population would also be reduced from 25,000 to 10,000.
  • City and township clerks would have to post the notice they provided to the SOS on that city’s or township’s website at least seven business days before the relevant election. If the location or hours of the preprocessing activities change from what was listed in the original posting, the local clerk must post a new notice at least 24 hours before preprocessing begins.
  • Clerks or designees would be allowed to open the outer/return envelopes containing an absentee ballot inside a secrecy sleeve between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. on the Sunday and Monday before Election Day to verify that the ballot number on the ballot stub agrees with the ballot number on the AV ballot return envelope label and to remove the secrecy sleeve from the outer envelope for storage in a secure container. The procedure must include the following below:
    • The election inspectors would have to record the following in the poll book.
    • The number of AV ballot return envelopes opened on the Sunday before Election Day.
    • The number of AV ballot return envelopes opened on the Monday before Election Day.
    • The number of AV ballot return envelopes delivered to inspectors that did not contain a voter’s signature and that were returned to the city or township clerk.
    • The number of AV ballot return envelopes that were challenged, not opened by inspectors, and set aside to be processed by inspectors on Election Day.

Absentee Voter ballot secrecy envelope container:

  • AV ballot secrecy containers must be submitted to and approved by the SOS before use.
    • Containers must be capable of being sealed and made up of tamper-resistant metal, plastic, fiberglass, or other material.
    • Clerks may procure approved containers at their own expense or use the traditional ballot containers described in the code.
  • PA 151 of 2022 also requires that after October 20, 2022, each board of county canvasser must examine the containers to be used during the November 8, 2022, general election and determine whether they meet the specific requirements.
  • If a city or township does not use these containers, that local unit’s board of county canvassers would have to examine any AV ballot secrecy envelope containers to be used in a 2024 August and/or November election by June 1, 2024.
  • By June 1, 2026, and by June 1, every four years after that, each board of county canvassers would have to reexamine the secrecy envelope containers to be used at the upcoming August and/or November election.

Absentee Voter Drop Boxes:

  • As of 2021, security measures have been implemented to provide for the secure transmission of ballots from the AV drop box to the Clerks’ possession. Beginning October 20, 2022, all drop boxes must adhere to the following requirements, except for video monitoring.
  • Drop boxes ordered or installed after October 1, 2022, must equip video monitoring by January 1, 2023. All drop boxes ordered and installed before October 1, 2022, will remain exempt from this requirement. 
  • The following must apply to drop boxes ordered or installed after October 1, 2020:
    • The drop box must be securely locked and bolted to the ground or another stationary object.
    • The drop box must be equipped with a single slot or mailbox-style lever to allow AV ballot return envelopes to be placed in the drop box, and all other openings on the drop box must be securely locked.
    • The city or township clerk must use video monitoring of that drop box.
    • The drop box must be in a public, well-lit area with good visibility.
    • The city or township clerk must report immediately to local law enforcement any vandalism involving the drop box or any suspicious activity occurring in the immediate vicinity.
  • Beginning October 20, 2022, and until the 2022 November general election, a city or township clerk, deputy clerk, or sworn staff member would have to regularly inspect each drop box to confirm that it complies with this section’s requirements.
  • Beginning January 1, 2023, these individuals would have to regularly inspect the drop boxes starting 75 days before each Election Day and up through the election. Starting 15 days before Election Day, they would have to collect any deposited election materials from the drop box on any day the clerk’s office is open for business.
  • When a clerk, deputy clerk, or sworn staff member collects absent voter ballot return envelopes, that individual would have to immediately return the envelopes to the clerk’s office unless traveling to another drop box. All absent voter ballot return envelopes would have to be transported in an approved ballot container or AV ballot secrecy envelope container.
  • Beginning October 20, 2022, municipal clerks would have to record each time absentee ballot return envelopes are collected from a drop box in that city except for drop boxes located on the grounds of a clerk’s office or a satellite office.
  • Clerks would have to maintain this documentation for at least 22 months after the election, which would have to include the following:
    • The date the return envelopes were collected from the drop box.
    • The number of return envelopes collected from the drop box.
    • The names of the individuals who collected the return envelopes.
    • The location in the city or township of the drop box.
  • Clerks are also now required to post the number of AV ballots distributed to absentee voters and the number of AV ballot return envelopes returned through Election Day and maintain a record that reconciles the number of AV ballots received by the clerk in the QVF.

Herasanna Richards is a legislative associate handling energy, environmental, elections, and external municipal services for the League. She can be reached at hrichards@mml.org or 517-908-0309.

State Seeks Poll Workers for Nov. 8 Election – Here’s How You Can Help

We’re sharing this from our friends at the Michigan Department of State. It’s a call to action for more election workers for the upcoming Nov. 8 general election.

The Michigan Department of State is seeking help in addressing our state’s critical need for more poll workers for the November Election in Michigan. Local clerks are seeking workers with skills in organization, customer service, project management and computer software and technology, and typically hire and train workers one to two months in advance of Election Day – so now is the best time to share this opportunity.

Please help spread the word and encourage residents and supporters in your communities to sign-up through the state’s non-partisan poll worker recruitment program, Democracy MVP. Those interested can get started and sign up at Michigan.gov/DemocracyMVP.

There is also a stakeholder toolkit (also available online here) that communities can use in promoting the need for poll workers. This toolkit contains sample graphics and language available for your use in promoting this opportunity, as well as a list of Frequently Asked Questions about working elections in Michigan and the Democracy MVP program.

Get all the details at Michigan.gov/DemocracyMVP.

Here are the details to becoming an election worker and getting paid to do so:

If you are interested in serving, complete the below steps to join the Democracy MVP team! 

Please note: Democracy MVP does not recruit or hire election challengers or poll watchers. What’s the difference?

Once submitted, your information will be provided to local election clerks looking to hire workers for upcoming elections. Learn more about the interest form
Complete the election inspector interest form

Step 2: Apply with a local clerk directly.
You can increase your chance of being hired to serve as an election inspector on Election Day by contacting a local clerk directly. Learn more about applying at clerk’s offices.

Step 3: Wait to be contacted 
Applying as an election inspector is applying for a job. This means you may be contacted by a local clerk to be hired, or you may not! For updates on your application, please contact the local clerk’s office where you applied directly. Learn more about the hiring process.

Applications for 2023 High Water and Coastal Management Funding Opportunities Now Open

Three funding opportunities are available from EGLE’s Office of Coastal Management. Application due dates for each funding opportunity vary, so please be sure to look closely at all dates and application requirements.

2023 Culture of Resilience Capacity Building Grant Funding Opportunity (GFO)

Michigan’s coastal communities are on the front lines of facing the “perfect storm” from our seasonal fluctuating Great Lakes water levels impacted by climate change.  Impacts such as record-level lows (2013) and record high (2020) water levels, more intense and frequent storm events, and unseasonal temperatures.  Like many municipalities in Michigan, limited budgets, competing for local interests, insufficient staff capacity, and a lack of technical expertise make planning for resiliency challenges.  This GFO is targeted for capacity building to focus efforts on increasing coastal communities’ knowledge of coastal risks by conducting outreach, technical assistance, and training workshops on actions that lead communities to be resilient-ready.  The WRD anticipates $1 million in grant funds to be available for this round of funding.

Eligible applicants include watershed councils, planning agencies, the 10 Regional Councils of Governments, and the 41 Coastal Counties’ Planning Departments with jurisdictions that touch the Great Lakes.

Electronic submission to EGLE-WRD-CoastalProgram@Michigan.gov is required no later than November 30, 2022.

Michigan Coastal Management Program (MCMP) 2024 Grant Funding Opportunity (GFO)

The MCMP builds upon efforts to enhance the preparedness and resiliency of coastal communities and their capacity to mitigate the impacts of coastal hazards.  Coastal communities are facing steadily increasing coastal hazards, making it imperative that efforts to effectively prepare for, mitigate impacts of, and quickly recover from these hazards are taken.  The MCMP supports strategic investments in:

  • Technical assistance, planning, and actions necessary to strengthen coastal hazard preparedness, mitigation, and recovery capacity of communities.
  • Planning, assessment, design, and implementation of nature-based solutions including natural infrastructure and green infrastructure.
  • Work with local communities to ensure safe public access to coastal areas by investing in coastal infrastructure and habitat restoration projects that support healthy habitats and resilient communities.

Eligible applicants include local units of government, cities, counties, villages, and townships, regional planning agencies, educational institutions (e.g., universities and school districts), Tribal governments, not-for-profit 501(c) organizations, and state agencies.

Electronic submission to EGLE-WRD-CoastalProgram@Michigan.govEGLE-WRD-CoastalProgram@Michigan.gov is required no later than December 2, 2022.

2023 Request for Proposals State High Water Infrastructure Grant Program (michigan.gov) 2023 Request for Proposals State High Water Infrastructure Grant Program (michigan.gov)

Funding is available statewide and restricted to infrastructure and planning projects that directly address the impacts and vulnerabilities presented by high water severe weather events (e.g., projects that address flooding, coastline erosion, urban heat, and stormwater management).  Eligibility of activities will be project-specific and determined on a case-by-case basis.  Any activities or costs not directly related to the proposed project or costs incurred outside of the project period are not eligible. Eligible activities under this funding opportunity include:

  • Development of local or regional resiliency plans.
  • Updating local master plans to consider high water levels, climate and storm resiliency, the dynamic nature of the Great Lakes, infrastructure risk assessments for climate and storm resiliency, or nature-based or green infrastructure to address flooding, coastline erosion, urban heat, or storm water management.
  • Implementation of nature-based and green infrastructure solutions that strengthen climate and storm resiliency and preparedness, or address flooding, coastline erosion, urban heat, or storm water management.
  • Development of feasibility studies or engineering plans for nature-based and green infrastructure projects that address climate and storm resiliency.
  • Relocation and protection of critical infrastructure (e.g., roads, sewer, water lines) using nature-based and climate-resilient principles.
  • Development or implementation of climate resiliency projects for stormwater management, including restored and constructed wetlands, stream/floodplain connectivity restoration, or other green infrastructure.
  • Habitat restoration projects that directly address the impacts and vulnerabilities presented by high water and severe weather events.

Regional councils of government and local units of government are eligible to apply.  A local unit of government may act as a primary project sponsor and fiduciary for a grant that includes partnerships or consortiums with other public or nonprofit organizations.  Applicants must demonstrate their project will address the impacts and vulnerabilities presented by high water and severe weather events.

Applications are to be submitted in PDF form to EGLE-WRD-CoastalProgram@Michigan.gov and must be received no later than November 30, 2022.

Herasanna Richards is a legislative associate handling energy, environmental, elections, and external municipal services for the League. She can be reached at hrichards@mml.org or 517-908-0309.

Reminder: Live with the League is this Monday at Noon

Our next Live with the League is noon Monday.

As you may have previously read here on Inside 208, the Michigan Legislature had a couple session days this month after not being in session since late June. Both chambers were extremely active, and our Legislative team kept very busy tracking it all.

During the next Live with the League at noon Monday, Oct. 3, our team will break down the latest activity and discuss the topics our members most care about. We will cover the $1 billion budget supplemental approved Wednesday as well as the Senate nearly taking up the short-term rental legislation that we strongly oppose. We also will chat about a proposal for a revenue sharing trust fund that the MML’s John LaMacchia testified on. For additional details about this week’s legislative activity, read this blog post by our own John LaMacchia.

Hope you can make it to the discussion noon Monday, Oct. 3 and please be sure to ask any questions on your mind for our Legislative team! Register for the FREE event here.

Budgets, Elections, and Municipal Finance, Oh My! Last Legislative Session Day Before Election has Flurry of Activity

On Wednesday, the last legislative session day before the election, the House and Senate acted on dozens of bills well into the evening. The biggest legislative item was an agreement on a roughly $1 billion budget supplemental (SB 844). Of that funding, $846 million will go toward the Strategic Outreach and Attraction Reserve (SOAR) Fund, which exists to bring new investment projects into the state. The bill will add nearly $300 million in new money to the fund and reauthorize $220 million. It will also invest $350 million into site prep.

In addition to the SOAR fund, there was also money for childcare and behavioral health, including $7.5 million to enhance mental health services for first responders and public safety personnel.

This deal was not easy to finalize and resulted in one legislator making an unanticipated announcement. On Wednesday morning as news was breaking that a deal had been made, Representative Albert resigned as House Appropriations Chair. He did not agree with leadership on the supplemental spending and stated in committee prior to resigning, “For a multitude of reasons, I am very opposed to the supplemental that is on the agenda for the House today. Chief among them is we are entering into a global recession. We have no idea how sharp this retraction will be.”

In other action that morning, the Senate Reg Reform Committee added the short-term rental legislation, HB 4722, to their agenda and sent it to the Senate floor without testimony. Fortunately for us, we have been anticipating they may try to do this and were able to quickly mobilize our members and directly engage legislators. While there were a few tense moments, we were successfully able to keep them from bringing this to a vote on the Senate floor. We know this fight isn’t over and we fully anticipate it will be an issue again in lame duck.

While we were able to showcase the strength of our grassroots advocacy in defending local control, almost simultaneously we were reaping the benefits of our education efforts on municipal finance. Senate Appropriations Committee took testimony on two bills, SB 1160 and SB 1161, that would create a Revenue Sharing Trust Fund. This is something we have long sought as it will protect current statutory revenue sharing resources by directing Treasury every other month to deposit a portion of the sales tax into a restricted fund. While still subject to an appropriation, for funding to be cut below current levels, the legislature would need to amend the statute and give a different directive to Treasury. This legislation is a significant step in protecting local resources and a top legislative priority as this session comes to an end.

If this wasn’t enough for one day, late in the evening the legislature and governor reached a second significant bi-partisan deal, this time on elections (HB 4491). Some local clerks will now have two days to preprocess absentee ballots prior to election day. The two days of preprocessing would be an option for communities of at least 10,000 residents, the Sunday and Monday prior to an election. In exchange, several provisions billed as security measures for absentee ballots were included in the final deal. These include requiring chain of custody logs for ballots placed in drop boxes and the setting up of a process for regularly taking dead voters off the voting rolls.

In addition to preprocessing, they also came to agreement on additional options for polling locations (HB 6071), allowing active-duty military members to vote electronically beginning after January 1, 2024 (SB 311), and addressing the electronic returning of absentee ballots by servicemembers overseas (SB 8).

As October begins, campaign season will kick into high gear, while the legislature won’t be in Lansing casting votes, you can bet they will be at your door, in your mailbox, and on your tv. Add three ballot proposals, the Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, and every Michigan congressional seat up for election, and it will likely make for an interesting next 5 weeks.

We will be keeping our finger on the pulse of all of it, providing updates when needed, and preparing for what could be a very active lame duck.

John LaMacchia is the League’s director of state & federal affairs. He can be reached at jlamacchia@mml.org or 517-908-0303.