The Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC) applauds the Michigan Township Association (MTA) for identifying increased road funding as a top legislative priority for the coming year.
The MTA membership, representing township governments across the state, approved the organization’s policy platform April 20 at the association’s Annual Meeting. According to MTA, the legislative priority list is intended to help state lawmakers know where the state’s townships collectively stand on issues.
“We appreciate the MTA’s determination that the need for additional state road funding is a top priority,” stated RCOC Managing Director Dennis Kolar. He added that this support is particularly important given the pending road-funding crisis expected to face the state in coming years.
“State road funding was last increased by the Legislature in 2015,” Kolar explained. “Unfortunately, the benefits of that increase are rapidly being diminished by inflation. In fact, we expect that by 2025, that increase will be completely offset by inflation, and we will, again, begin to see our roads deteriorating.”
Because of this, Kolar noted it is critical that the state Legislature, which controls the majority of road funding in the state, take action in the near future. “Having partners such as the MTA joining us in making increased road funding a top priority is very important,” he said.
Locally, Kolar said Oakland County townships have been great partners when it comes to roads and have regularly used their own limited resources to help maintain and improve RCOC roads within their borders. “We are very appreciative of our Oakland County townships and their willingness to work with us to best serve our mutual constituents. They understand the state’s road-funding shortfall, and their support of the MTA road-funding priority will certainly help carry this message to Lansing.”
