MADISON HEIGHTS, Mich. – Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the legislature were supposed to fix the roads in 2019, but instead, the year was dominated by a nasty budget fight that ended after months of pointing fingers.
Whitmer’s big proposal was a 45-cent gas tax hike, which was dead in the legislature the day she announced it. Both Republicans and Democrats pushed back on the tax hike, but could there be a gas tax increase in our future?
Metro Detroit has been one big orange barrel for months, but it’s all just getting started, according to the Michigan Department of Transportation.
MDOT officials said $2 billion or more per year is needed to do necessary infrastructure fixes. A more modest hike to gas taxes, coupled with other measures, could be possible.
The vast majority of legislators in Lansing said they’ve got to come up with some new money to fix the roads. They said marijuana sales aren’t going to be enough.
Treasury estimates about $149 million in taxes in 2020, which is nowhere near the money MDOT says is needed.
You can watch Mara MacDonald’s full story in the video posted above.