On January 12, Governor Rick Snyder officially signed into law legislation to increase transportation funding by $1.2 billion each and every year, securing necessary funding for Michigan’s infrastructure for decades to come. This was certainly a major milestone in the journey toward securing permanent long-term funding for the roads and bridges in our great state, but there’s a key component to this that now rests on the shoulders of every registered voter in Michigan.
On May 5, 2015, Michigan citizens will have a once in a lifetime opportunity to really make a difference in the way our state funds roads, schools and local governments. Proposal 1 is a game-changer, and therefore we are asking you to get fully engaged and also to exercise your right to vote on Tuesday, May 5th. If Proposal 1 is successful, it will kick into motion the bills that the Governor signed earlier this month, thereby changing the way we collect gas tax and how it is distributed to meet the growing demands of our crumbling infrastructure.
Schools and locals will also benefit from this proposal, which makes the impact even broader for Michigan citizens. Not only will schools and locals not risk losing their current funding levels, but they will actually get an INCREASE. Additionally, for the first time, taxes collected at the pump will actually all go towards addressing the needs of our roads and bridges.
The campaign committee to support Proposal 1 has been officially established and is called “Michigan Citizens for Better Roads and Schools”. Governor Snyder will be the lead voice of the campaign. The formation of the coalition, of which MITA will be a major component, is an important first step toward the ultimate passage of this industry-changing proposal. Early estimates on how much a successful campaign may cost is anywhere between $10 million and $15 million, and the MITA Board of Directors is likely to approve using the vast majority of MITA’s reserve funds ($1.5 million) towards the effort early next week.
MITA will be doing a tremendous amount of educating the membership, as well as the public, over the next few months. The end goal is to have the industry raise a total of $5 million to support the ballot campaign. Ballot campaigns are huge, statewide endeavors that require a large amount of financial support. At this time, several MITA members have already demonstrated their strong leadership and commitment by stepping up to contribute close to $2 million, moving us closer to our industry goal of $5 million. Other organizations and associations that believe in investing in our roads, schools and local governments have also joined this important financial effort.
We are counting on all MITA members to financially help with the success of Proposal 1 in whatever way they can. This proposal is truly the industry’s opportunity for huge gains, and we need everyone to step up. We need every single one of our members talking to their employees, friends, family and neighbors about how important the passage of this proposal will be to our entire state.
Click here for a detailed breakdown of what Proposal 1 means for Michigan.
Click here for a graphic that visually explains the impact of Proposal 1.
Click here to contribute financially to this very important effort. (Associates)
Click here to contribute financially to this very important effort. (Contractors)
You will continue to receive updates from MITA regarding the campaign over the next few months, as well as ideas on how you can help the cause, including communication to your employees, unique ways to get out the vote, reaching out to the media, and other ways in which you can help us get this across the finish line.
Please don’t hesitate to contact Executive Vice President Mike Nystrom at mikenystrom@mi-ita.com or VP of Government Affairs Lance Binoniemi at lancebinoniemi@mi-ita.com with any questions or concerns you may have.
Vote YES for Proposal 1 on May 5th!
