Some rural lawmakers in Lansing aren’t on board with how Governor Gretchen Whitmer wants to reshape the state’s road funding methods.
Right now, money brought in for roads is divided among the state, cities, and counties. Whitmer wants to increase the fuel tax by 45-cents. And she wants that money to be distributed based primarily on road use.
But some people in more rural areas say that’s not fair.
Republican Representative Triston Cole represents counties in the northern part of the Lower Peninsula.
“A lot of northern, but rural Michigan is the places that drives our state tourism economy. So it’s equally as important as an economic driver in our state. Just different.”
Cole says he’s willing to look at the details of Whitmer’s plan, but he doesn’t want rural communities to be shortchanged.