State budget includes about $150M in pork projects for Greater Lansing area
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LANSING — Michigan Democrats this week finalized the largest state budget in history, and the Greater Lansing area received a sizeable piece of the pie. Or pork as it may be.
Democratic lawmakers, in control of the budget process for the first time in over 40 years, have touted the nearly $82 billion budget as historic and transformational, while Republicans have decried reckless spending and funding for what they consider unnecessary projects.
The budget includes funding for education and other statewide issues, but also includes tens of millions of dollars in Greater Lansing for projects that are supported by local groups and politicians. And the Lansing area, with local Democrats in control of appropriations committees in both chambers of the Legislature, came away with more funding than in recent years, officials said.
Sen. Sarah Anthony, the Lansing Democrat who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, said the budget supports the mid-Michigan region while remaining fiscally responsible.
“Since January, I have met with countless officials, community leaders, and constituents to ensure that this budget is delivered for our region. We have made historic investments in Ingham and Eaton counties, including funding for our public schools, housing, workforce development, community spaces, and public safety,” she said in a statement.
The bill appropriating the general budget and the allocations for the Greater Lansing area passed the House 61-47 and the Senate 26-10. It is expected to be signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in the coming weeks.
Throughout the process, legislators are able to obtain funding for specific causes in their districts, sometimes in exchange for their support on the legislation. Such appropriations are often derided as “pork” and are a contentious use of taxpayer funds — but those allocations can still have significant impacts on the communities they serve.
“The Democrats’ pork-barrel budget wastes the people’s dollars and tees up future tax hikes to pay for irresponsible, unsustainable programs," House Republican Leader Matt Hall, R-Richland Township, said in a statement. "Their spending is a mile wide and an inch deep — funding all sorts of half-baked programs without giving enough support to actually deliver the solutions the people of Michigan deserve."
Among the more than $750 million in special project allocations, here’s what the Lansing area is receiving from the state’s largest budget in history.
Construction projects
New Lansing city hall, $40 million
Capital Region International Airport, $9.4 million
Moores Park Pool (Lansing), $6.2 million
Lansing Center, $5 million
Lansing Riverfront, $1.7 million
Among the projects, the city received $40 million for a new city hall and the Capital Region International Airport received $9.4 million for road improvements surrounding the airport. Few details were available Thursday about the city hall funding.
The Lansing Center will receive infrastructure improvements with a $5 million grant, and $1.7 million is going to the Brenke Fish Ladder in Old Town to create an amphitheater. Moores Park also will see substantial upgrades.
“The budget has been terrific for the city of Lansing,” Mayor Andy Schor said Thursday. “Just a tremendous amount within this budget that's going to be very helpful to the city of Lansing.”
Schor said he worked closely with legislators, including Rep. Angela Witwer, D-Delta Township, and Anthony who control their respective appropriations committees and had significant sway over where budget funding went.
Rep. Emily Dievendorf, D-Lansing, said she counted over 50 projects and programs that would benefit their district, which stretches north into Grand Ledge.
“I fought especially hard for support in housing, for support in maintaining the infrastructure and the systems and resources that we already have,” they said. “And we won on every front when it comes to that.”
Dievendorf and Schor said the budget supports the capital region with significantly greater funding than previous budgets.
"They certainly understand that Lansing is a priority just like several other communities in our state," Schor said. "In the past, I don't know that we've gotten the balance that we deserve. And today we did."
"Understanding that with the future of work and seeing state employees working remotely more and the impact that that's having on the city, this budget certainly helps us to to adjust for the future," he added.
Affordable housing sees boost
Lansing Housing project, $40 million
Walter French school building rehabilitation (Lansing), $2.5 million
Apartment renovations (Lansing), $800,000
Lansing received significant investments in its affordable housing stock, bringing in $40 million for the Lansing Housing project, $2.5 million for the former Walter French school’s transition to mixed-income housing and $800,000 for apartment renovations and HVAC upgrades.
Schor said the funding toward housing and renewal of the city’s facilities represent a renewed focus in Lansing at the state level.
“It's an investment in the capital city, which is something that that we need, and it's probably the best investment in the capital city that we've seen in a long time,” he said.
Dievendorf said the appropriations, coupled with community outreach efforts, represent investments they hope can help address that area’s housing crisis.
Lansing community efforts
Prevention and treatment services, $6 million
Warming center expansions, $800,000
All of the Above, $500,000
Mikey23 Foundation, $500,000
Lansing’s community outreach efforts and organizations are receiving big boosts with the budget, including $6 million for prevention and treatment services and $800,000 to expand warming center capacity during the winter.
Two Lansing-area nonprofits, All of the Above and the Mikey23 Foundation, are receiving $500,000 each
“They do incredible work getting kids off the streets,” Schor said. “When you talk about alternatives to gun violence and keeping kids out of jail, they're both incredible programs.”
Schor said the allocation of the prevention and treatment services funding has yet to be decided. Dievendorf said the funding would benefit those battling addiction and help ensure other social programs become more accessible.
“We know that we need to be attending to the struggle of those who are already dealing with addiction and houselessness and all of the different systemic obstacles that keep them from being able to be stable,” they said.
Trail expansions
Northern Tier Trail extension, $300,000
MSU to Lake Lansing trail, $300,000
Hawk Island boardwalk replacement, $300,000
Two trails in East Lansing will see funding, with the Northern Tier Trail receiving $300,000 for an extension to Coolidge Road, and the MSU to Lake Lansing Trail getting another $300,000 for improvements to the existing portions of trail.
Rep. Julie Brixie, D-Meridian Township, said the MSU-to-Lake Lansing Trail has been discussed since the late 1990s.
“To see these really long range projects come to fruition is really wonderful,” she said.
Hawk Island Park will receive a new boardwalk through a $300,000 grant.
Outside of Lansing
Eaton County road project grant, $18.2 million
Habitat for Humanity in Delta Township, $10 million
New Meridian senior center, $5 million
Clinton County, DeWitt road projects, $3.5 million
Eaton Rapids teen center, $3 million
Other significant investments being made in the mid-Michigan region include $18.2 million in Delta Township to support road construction around the $2.5 billion Ultium/General Motors plant; $10 million for Habitat for Humanity in Eaton County; $5 million for a new senior center in Meridian Township; $3 million for a new teen center in Eaton Rapids; and $3.5 million for Clinton County and DeWitt road projects.
Witwer, as chair of the House Appropriations Committee, held a powerful role in what allocations ended up in the budget.
Before Witwer was elected, Eaton County hadn't recently received anything significant in state budget packages, she said.
"I'm super excited about the fact that we were able to bring home great things for the area," she said. "We were able to have some of the focus on mid-Michigan and not just on west and east Michigan. It's been a great time, and it's been long awaited and we're excited to have our communities become even more vibrant.
Witwer said that an abundance of "one-time" federal dollars from programs like the American Rescue Plan were able to "those dollars could touch all of our districts and be able to do things that our districts can't afford to do at this time."
Eaton County Commissioner Jacob Toomey said the allocations would be beneficial to the county and surrounding region.
“Economic development is going to be super important for Eaton County and Lansing area,” he said. “This is an auto capital of the world, and I think we want to remain that way.”
Toomey also praised the funding for Habitat for Humanity as benefiting the broader Eaton County community.
“When you don't have access to stable and affordable housing,” he said. “It is just much harder to contribute to your family and to your community.”
Contact Sheldon Krause at skrause@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @sheldonjkrause.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: From pools to parks: Lansing has long list of state budget grants
