State Rep. Dave Prestin on Tuesday spoke out against Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s newly announced roads plan, specifically her desire to hike taxes to fund her proposal. Prestin said that while he appreciated the governor’s renewed interest in substantive road planning, tax increases are unnecessary and will do more harm than good, especially in the Upper Peninsula.

“A lot of time behind the windshield is a fact of life in the Upper Peninsula. Groceries, school, work, and everything else can be upwards of 40 minutes away.” said Prestin, R-Cedar River. “We know that our local roads have been neglected for far too long and that something has to get done as soon as possible. Unfortunately, the Governor’s proposal depends on irresponsible tax increases, which will be more likely to push employers out of the state rather than fix our roads.”

Last year, MLive compiled and ranked Michigan counties based on their road conditions as reported by state officials. Four U.P. counties were graded with the 10 worst road conditions in the state. Menominee (1) ranked the lowest, followed by Schoolcraft (3), Delta (6), and Dickinson (8). The report also found that 70% of U.P. roads were in poor condition.

“U.P. road commissions often have just as many road miles to manage as those in counties with much larger populations, which means that our commissioners have to try to do just as much work with a much smaller tax base,” Prestin said. “Our local officials have been doing the absolute best with what they have. The state has known for a long time that local roads are in the most urgent need of repairs. It’s time for the state to put its money where its mouth is and reprioritize funding to support local roads.”

Prestin noted that House Republicans have their own plan to designate $3.1 billion in annual revenue for roads without raising taxes. A major focus of the proposal is redirecting funding away from corporate welfare programs and into critical infrastructure projects. The plan also ensures that all taxes – $945 million annually – paid at the pump are put directly into road funding.

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