A special commission is studying what new infrastructure the state of Michigan will need 30 to 50 years from now.
Many Michigan communities are years behind in repairing and replacing aging sewer systems and crumbling bridges. It’s hard to think decades ahead, when you’re already so far behind.
But that’s the job facing the 21st Century Infrastructure Commission. Gov. Snyder created the 27-member commission by executive order to study what needs to be done to the state’s transportation, energy, water and other infrastructure to meet Michigan’s needs in the future.
And also, how to pay for it.
Commission chairman Evan Weiner is confident Michiganders will want pay to improve the state’s infrastructure. He says this even though Michigan voters rejected a billion-dollar road funding proposal just last year.
“I think what we learned with Proposal One is that it was too confusing … too many things involved there,” says Weiner. “When it’s simple and people know what they are going to get they tend to pay for it.”
The commission’s report will land on the governor’s desk in November.
