PONTIAC, Mich. – With a comprehensive road fix out of Lansing being put before voters in the form of a sales tax increase, Oakland County Commissioner Dave Woodward has an idea to inject millions of dollars into keeping up Oakland County's roads until Lansing can sort out the mess.
Under L. Brooks Patterson's stewardship, the county has a surplus. Patterson is suggesting a property tax cut that would return an estimated $75 million to county residents over 10 years.
It averages out to about a $15 break each year on a $200,000 home.
Woodward is proposing that the county keep the surplus and move it into emergency road repair.
"This could be a guarantee. We could double the amount of pothole repair monies in Oakland County roads by dedicating the lion's share of the surplus dollars to fix the potholes, and then use additional resources to support the repaving and repair of existing roads," Woodward pitched to the county commission.
If the 1 percent sales tax increase fails when it's voted on in May, the state Legislature will once again try and tackle the issue, which means more delay in fixing crumbling infrastructure. Polls suggest that the increase will likely be voted down.
Patterson's office is wholly unimpressed with Woodward's proposal. The office likes its idea of a tax cut better.
However, state law was changed last year to allow county commissions to move surplus monies into road repair.