MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. – Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is promising to “fix the damn roads” in Macomb County with a newly signed deal.
“I am thrilled to be here in Macomb County with all of you to deliver on our promise to fix the damn roads,” Whitmer said on Monday (Oct. 13) morning. “We’re getting it done.”
Whitmer, sporting a hard hat and wearing a bright yellow workers’ vest, along with a number of local and state officials – including House Speaker Matt Hall – officially signed the roads deal during the event.
It comes after the bitter budget battle in Lansing, which brought everything down to the wire before an agreement was finally reached last week.
Fixing “the damn roads” was a signature part of Whitmer’s first campaign for governor, and the phrase has followed her since she took office.
The roads deal was one of the signature parts of the state’s newly minted $81 billion budget that was formally signed last week in Lansing.
“This road deal means more money, more freedom, and more jobs,” Whitmer said.
Nearly $2 billion of the budget is going to repair state and local roads over the next four years.
The plan also includes:
- $417 million for water infrastructure.
- $322 million for airport safety and improvements.
- $40 million for rail grade separation projects to reduce traffic congestion.
Part of the road funding comes from an approved 24% tax hike on cannabis sales in the state. State lawmakers estimate that the new tax will generate approximately $420 million annually.
Another part of this budget involves eliminating the sales tax on gas, which has been eliminated, but will be replaced with a 20-cent-per-gallon increase in the gas tax, which will keep prices roughly the same.
“Our plan finally ensures every penny you pay at the pump goes to road funding, something people have demanded for years,” Hall said. “And it sends that money to the local roads and bridges in our neighborhoods, instead of just state highways.”
Whitmer added that fixing the roads is more than just the commute back and forth, but also about reducing car repair costs and boosting the economy – something that she is not sorry about.
She also mentioned that people will need to get accustomed to seeing more orange construction barrels as the projects gain momentum.
“I know you love to hate them, but remember that’s a sign of progress, that’s a sign of jobs, that’s a sign of investment in our economy,” Whitmer said.
“I know people curse me when the roads don’t work,” Whitmer added. “I know they’re going to curse me when they see these orange barrels, and you’re welcome.”