County-Wide Roads and Non-Motorized Millage Renewal on Aug. 4 Ballot
Washtenaw County voters will be asked on August 4, 2020, to renew and restore the 0.5 mill four-year county-wide roads and non-motorized millage. If renewed/restored, the 0.5 mill is expected to generate approximately $8.9 million per year for roads and non-motorized pathway projects.
The 4-year, 0.5 mill roads and non-motorized millage was first approved by 71% of county voters in 2016. In April 2020, the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved to place the renewal and restoration of Roads and Non-Motorized Millage: 2021 – 2024 on the August 4, 2020 ballot.
In summary, the millage if renewed would generate:
- Approximately $4 million per year allocated to the Washtenaw County Road Commission (WCRC) to improve more than 215 miles of road across Washtenaw County over 4 years
- Approximately $3.1 million per year returned to cities and villages within Washtenaw County to invest in roads and non-motorized projects, with specific distributions based on the amount raised within a municipality’s borders.
- The City of Ann Arbor would receive approximately $2.4 million per year.
- Approximately $1.8 million per year allocated to the Washtenaw County Parks & Recreation Commission (WCPARC) to support the expansion of the county’s non-motorized path network through the Border-to-Border Pathway Project and the Connecting Communities Grant Program.
The public is invited to join WCRC and WCPARC on Tuesday, July 14 at 6:30 p.m. for a virtual Zoom meeting to learn more about the millage and proposed projects.
“This is an opportunity for voters to continue fixing our roads in Washtenaw County”, shared Jason Morgan, chair of the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners, “This is a renewal of an existing millage that provides critically-needed resources to maintain our miles of roadways. One of the most important things about this millage is that it is fully transparent, and residents can see where their money will be spent throughout our county before they vote. This renewal also guarantees that 20% of the money raised supports non-motorized projects through a partnership with the Washtenaw County Parks & Recreation Commission – those are walking and biking paths, accessible to everyone. It’s an amazing opportunity to fund these projects for residents to get out and explore our beautiful county.”
A detailed project plan for each year of the proposed millage can be found HERE
“I hope voters take the time to understand all the good that this millage has done over the past four years,” shared Rodrick K. Green, member of Washtenaw County Board of County Road Commissioners and chair of the BOC’s Roads Funding Subcommittee, “so far, we have completed more than 170 miles of road improvements and 14 non-motorized projects, as promised in the first millage (passed by voters in 2016) and we plan to continue that trend if the millage is renewed this August.”
Visit HERE and HERE to learn more.
Washtenaw County Parks & Recreation Commission (WCPARC)
The Washtenaw County Parks & Recreation Commission, founded in 1973, currently manages 14 parks and 33 nature preserves totaling more than 6,000 acres. Washtenaw County Parks provides recreational and nature-based programming. Visit us at washtenaw.org/parks, on Facebook and Instagram, or call (734) 971-6337.
Washtenaw County Road Commission (WCRC)
The Washtenaw County Road Commission, founded in 1919, maintains approximately 1,652 miles of certified public roads. All public roads in Washtenaw County located outside of city and village limits are maintained by WCRC crews. Visit us at wcroads.org, @WashtenawRoads on Facebook and Twitter, or call (734) 761-1500.
