Gov. Snyder Proposes Major Infrastructure Changes
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Updated: 12:23 AM Oct 27, 2011
Gov. Snyder Proposes Major Infrastructure Changes
The proposed changes aim to bring in $1 to $1.4 billion in the short-term and stabilize funding in the long term.
Posted: 11:35 PM Oct 26, 2011
Reporter: Alex Goldsmith
Email Address: alex.goldsmith@wilx.com
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Governor Snyder laid out his plan to improve Michigan's infrastructure Wednesday.

Right now, the funding to maintain Michigan's state roads comes from three sources, federal funding, state fuel taxes and registration fees.

The Governor's proposals would affect two of those sources.

To raise $1 billion for roads funding, the Governor suggested charging $120 more per year in registration fees as a way of starting a discussion. That $120 hike would more than double what most drivers pay right now.

Another proposal would allow local communities to charge $40 per vehicle to fix local roads, if voters approved the change.

The Governor would also like to see the state's 19-cents-per-gallon fuel tax and 15-cents-per-gallon diesel tax scrapped in favor of a wholesale percentage tax on fuel. The change wouldn't initially raise more money, but would allow the revenue to go up as the price of gas goes up and stabilize a source of funding that's been declining.

Other ideas include allowing counties to absorb their road commissions, giving the state the ability to audit county road commissions and distributing road funding based on road use.


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