Yesterday the House Commerce committee posted, and House Bill 5856, a bill to amend the DDA act to provide for additional transparency and reporting requirements as well as adding in fund accumulation restrictions, was added to the agenda. We were working off of a substitute bill that had been sent to us last week: TIF sub latest

This bill has been a thorn in the League’s side this year, and in our view it was not ready to be passed by the committee. Yesterday we talked to committee members in the House lobby to relay our concerns.

This morning at the start of committee, Chairman Frank Foster announced that House Bill 5856 was being pulled from the agenda, and that the committee would not take up this legislation this year. The legislative session ends next week, and the committee’s failure to take up this legislation means that the bill will die at the end of December. The legislature will have to reintroduce it and begin the process anew.

We do not anticipate this being the end of this issue, and we welcome continued conversations next term. We’ve heard from the Governor’s office that there is an interest by the administration to continue reviewing this issue. We look forward to being part of a comprehensive discussion on the best way to utilize economic development tools.

Thank you to all of our members for the hard work and continually reaching out to their lawmakers. It obviously makes a difference!

Samantha Harkins is the Director of State Affairs for the League handling municipal finance issues.  She can be reached at sharkins@mml.org or 517-908-0306.

This morning the House Committee on Michigan Competitiveness refused to hear our testimony in opposition to House Bill 5977. So we did a video of what we would have said and posted it on the internet and on our social media outlets (Facebook and Twitter).

This is an extremely harmful piece of  legislation that would prohibit local units of government from creating a “community benefits ordinance”. The League vehemently opposes this bill because it is an egregious violation of local control.

Currently, Michigan communities are allowed to negotiate with developers and contractors when developing certain parcels of property. A developer, for example, may ask for a tax break and the city, in return for the tax break, could have the developer expand or repave a road or street that will service the new project. The city, in exchange for grants, tax abatements or other economic development incentives, could ask the developer to hire local workers, pay a certain level of wages or benefits and engage certain subcontractors or local businesses.

This give-and-take-type of negotiations is common and extremely beneficial to a community. However, this legislation would end all that and drastically tie the hands of local governments. The bill would prohibit a local government from creating a community benefits ordinance and doing negotiations for the betterment of the community. Imagine a roofer coming to your house and you not being able to negotiate the price of the new roof, the color, the type of materials used or anything to do with that roof. That’s what this bill does.

The committee first met on this issue last week and met again on it this morning. We were expecting to testify but weren’t allowed and instead the committee reported the bill to the full House. Please contact your legislator and ask him or her to oppose!

Samantha Harkins is the Director of State Affairs for the League handling municipal finance issues.  She can be reached at sharkins@mml.org or 517-908-0306.

There are many transit options in Michigan and the state needs a comprehensive funding plan that will support all of them.

The Michigan Municipal League needs every mayor, manager, council member and municipal employee to call their state Senators today and ask them to reject the House transportation plan and pass the transportation-funding solution approved by the Senate on Nov. 13.

The Senate’s plan provides real support for our complete transportation system. The House proposal, passed late Thursday without a single Democratic vote, would shift dollars away from local governments, schools, transit and the general fund into roads.

The House plan relies on projected revenue increases, wouldn’t allow communities to benefit from a growing economy, and claims it would “hold communities harmless.” But we’ve played this game with revenue sharing dollars. The League has very serious concerns and we need your help to express our strong opposition to this proposal.  Shifting money over to road funding is not a comprehensive solution to the road funding problem. For additional details on the two plans go here.

Call your Senators today and tell them to support the Senate plan and oppose the House proposal. Go here to our Action Center to get their contact information. Here are some talking points to use when calling them:

• We need to fix the roads and our transportation system without hurting local governments, schools and public transit.
• We stand behind Governor Snyder and his desire to solve this road-funding problem with new revenue. Taking money from others is not the right solution.
• The legislature should not solve the road funding problem by reducing revenue sharing and relying on “projected economic growth” forecasts to make up for lost revenue. This is a risk we cannot afford.
  

  East Lansing Mayor Nathan Triplett talks transit on Let It Rip.

To help craft your responses, check out a recent interview League Board Vice President and East Lansing Mayor Nathan Triplett did on Fox 2 Detroit. On the “Let It Rip” program with Rep. Anthony Forlini, Triplett did an excellent job discussing why the Senate proposal is best, how the House plan would hurt communities, schools and transit, and why additional revenue is needed to support a comprehensive transportation plan. To hear Triplett’s responses to hard-hitting questions, watch segment 1 and segment 2 from the show.

If you have additional questions, please contact the League’s John LaMacchia II at 517-908-0303 or at jlamacchia@mml.org.

This morning the House Committee on Michigan Competitiveness heard testimony on House Bill 5977. This is an extremely harmful piece of  legislation that would prohibit local units of government from creating a “community benefits ordinance”. The League vehemently opposes this bill because it is an egregious violation of local control.

Currently, Michigan communities are allowed to negotiate with developers and contractors when developing certain parcels of property. A developer, for example, may ask for a tax break and the city, in return for the tax break, could have the developer expand or repave a road or street that will service the new project. The city, in exchange for grants, tax abatements or other economic development incentives, could ask the developer to hire local workers, pay a certain level of wages or benefits and engage certain subcontractors or local businesses.

This give-and-take-type of negotiations is common and extremely beneficial to a community. However, this legislation would end all that and drastically tie the hands of local governments. The bill would prohibit a local government from creating a community benefits ordinance and doing negotiations for the betterment of the community. Imagine a roofer coming to your house and you not being able to negotiate the price of the new roof, the color, the type of materials used or anything to do with that roof. That’s what this bill does.

The committee recessed for session and will reconvene on Tuesday, December 9 at 9:30 am. We anticipate the committee will vote on the legislation at that time. Please contact your legislator and ask him or her to oppose!

Samantha Harkins is the Director of State Affairs for the League handling municipal finance issues.  She can be reached at sharkins@mml.org or 517-908-0306.

This afternoon the Senate has passed Senate Bill 247, a bill that would allow establishments licensed to sell alcohol in central business districts to stay open and serve alcohol until 4 a. m. on Saturdays and Sundays, expanding the current 2 a.m. limit.

Senate Bill 247 would require a majority vote of a local unit of government to allow an establishment wishing to stay open until 4 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. They must be located in a central business district of the city, village or township to qualify. Licenses would cost $10,000 annually.

The legislation now goes to the House for approval.

Samantha Harkins is the Director of State Affairs for the League handling municipal finance issues.  She can be reached at sharkins@mml.org or 517-908-0306.

This morning the House Energy & Technology Committee reported House Bill 4237, a bill that would open state police communications towers to colocation for broadband expansion.

As introduced this legislation would allow both public and private entities to colocate for the purpose of broadband expansion; however, a substitute passed by thecommittee would limit this to only private entities for three years and then allow public entities to colocate only in “underserved areas.”

The League is a staunch supporter of broadband expansion; however, banning public entities from this colocation seeks to inhibit broadband expansion to only if a private entity decides to expand. This is a disservice to Michigan residents and job providers as broadband access becomes more necessary for both businesses and residents.

We continue to oppose this version of the legislation and encourage you to contact your House members to do the same. The bill now goes to the full House for consideration.

Samantha Harkins is the Director of State Affairs for the League handling municipal finance issues.  She can be reached at sharkins@mml.org or 517-908-0306.

This morning the House Local Government Committee reported Senate Bill 313 sponsored by Senator Dave Robertson (R-Grand Blanc) that would drastically change the way municipal rental inspection programs operate.

The bill would lower revenue that programs collect and provide additional barriers to entry when attempting to inspect a tenants property.The bill now heads to the full House, and we need your help to prevent this from passing.

For those communities that have rental inspection programs we would ask that you please reach out to your legislator to ask for a “no” vote. The message is very simple: making the proposed changes to the rental inspection laws would negatively impact well run,  efficient programs. Further, SB 313 should not be brought up for a vote this year and we can revisit the issue next year.

John LaMacchia is a Legislative Associate for the League handling transportation and infrastructure issues. He can be reached at jlamacchia@mml.org or 517-908-0303.

This morning the House Local Government Committee reported Senate Bill 1125, legislation that would Public Act 215 of 1937, which authorizes municipalities to
own or control cemetery or burial grounds.

The bill would allow a municipality to establish an endowment and perpetual care fund for a municipally owned cemetery as part of an agreement with a community foundation.

It would also require the community foundation to authorize the disbursement of earnings
from the fund to the municipality for care and maintenance of the cemetery. The bill would also require the cemetery to maintain records regarding the use of earnings from
the fund.

In addition the bill would allow the community foundation’s fees and costs associated with the agreement to be paid from the principal of the fund and specify information that the community foundation would have to include in an annual audit.

The bill now goes to the full House for consideration.

Samantha Harkins is the Director of State Affairs for the Michigan Municipal League.  She can be reached at 517-908-0306 or email at sharkins@mml.org

This morning the House Local Government Committee passed Senate Bill 307, a bill introduced Senator Steve Bieda (D-Warren) that removes population thresholds for communities who want to use a police and fire special assessment as a revenue option. The committee did amend the legislation so that it has a 10-year sunset.

Under the law currently a city with a population of under 15,000 may levy a police and fire special assessment. A city with a population of more than 15,000 and less than 70,000 in a county with a population between 230,000 and 235,000 may levy an assessment with a vote of the people. The only city that meets this very narrow criteria is the City of Saginaw.

Senator Bieda’s bill would eliminate the population threshold so that any city above 15,000 could levy a special assessment for police and fire under the Act with a vote of its electorate.  We are grateful to Sen. Bieda for introducing this important local option.

The League is very supportive of this legislation that now heads to the full House for consideration.

Samantha Harkins is the Director of State Affairs for the Michigan Municipal League.  She can be reached at 517-908-0306 or email at sharkins@mml.org