LANSING (WKZO-AM) — The Flint Water Crisis and an overall urge to improve Michigan’s water infrastructure dominated Gov. Rick Snyder’s $54.9 billion budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year.
Fighting through an angry chorus outside the House Appropriations Committee room chanting its displeasure over the city’s water crisis, Snyder urged $195 million for Flint, including $37 million to improve safe drinking water efforts.
“For food and nutrition, it’s $15 million, for health and wellbeing, it’s $63 million, for water bill credits, it’s $30 million,” Snyder said.
He also proposed putting $50 million toward a Flint-specific reserve fund.
The proposal doesn’t include a deposit in the Rainy Day Fund. Snyder, instead, opted to allocate more toward improving statewide water infrastructure, testing schools and mitigating the harm that existing lead water lines could do to cities throughout the state.
“We determined $165 million could be put in a fund to really seed a statewide infrastructure fund,” Snyder said.
He also proposed, as part of a 10-year plan, to use tobacco settlement funds to pay down Detroit Public Schools’ debt.
The proposal also restores higher education funding back to 2011 levels.
– Anthony Pollreisz
