State Rep. Anthony Forlini arranged for his successor, Harrison Township Supervisor Ken Verkest, to testify today in Lansing about the inequities in state revenue sharing to local communities under Gov. snyder’s budget plan.
In remarks made before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government, Verkest said that Harrison Township has seen its statutory revenue sharing fall from $558,229 to $3,811 over the last 10 years, which makes the township ineligible for Snyder’s proposed incentives to boost funding.
Snyder has proposed replacing $300 million in statutory revenue sharing with a $200 million “Economic Vitality Incentive Program.” To compete for these funds, communities must currently receive at least $6,000 in statutory revenue sharing, as well as meet best practices in the categories of government accountability, transparency and efficiency standards.
“It is my belief that people vote with their feet,” said Forlini, a Harrison Township Republican. “People move to communities where they feel safe, where services are provided to them, and where amenities enhance their quality of life.”
A freshman lawmaker, Forlini has sponsored legislation to distribute the statutory portion of revenue sharing equally among all cities on a per-capita basis. Currently, statutory revenue sharing payments are disbursed under a formula created in the 1970s, which critics say is designed to subsidize cities with declining populations.
“People’s tax dollars should follow them where they live. This is why I have sponsored legislation stating revenue sharing should be distributed on a per capita basis. Communities like ours in Harrison Township should be a part of the governor’s matrix for success, not be left out of our state’s reinvention.”
Verkest detailed the effects that Snyder’s plan, now outlined in proposed legislation, will have on relatively small communities like Harrison Township. The new U.S. Census Bureau figures show that Harrison’s population has maintained at approximately 25,000 people.
“In Harrison Township, we have been good stewards of taxpayer dollars,” Verkest said. “We have controlled costs by examining our processes and our programs. We have worked closely with our unions to contain costs. Communities like ours should be recognized and rewarded for achieving the very same efficiencies that Gov. Snyder is proposing.”
In his final remarks to the committee, Forlini urged the members to be mindful of local interests of all sizes as they consider the legislation before them.
“We must create a system that does not require communities to come back to Lansing to beg for their own money,” he said.
