Representative Betsy Coffia Announces Budget Wins for Traverse City Area

• $300,000 for Housing North’s Housing Ready program that assists local municipalities and organizations as they pursue planning and zoning changes and funding opportunities for affordable housing initiatives across the 103rd District.

• $800,000 for the Leelanau Early Childhood Development Commission to support local child care initiatives including tuition assistance and startup costs for childcare providers; this will directly promote affordability, quality, and increased childcare access in Leelanau, Benzie and Grand Traverse counties.

• $2 million for lead water line replacement in Traverse City.

• $15 million for the Freshwater Research and Innovation Center in Elmwood Township, on West Bay, to bring hundreds of good-paying jobs, support our region’s higher education, environmental protection, and economic development goals.

• $2.2 million for a new emergency communications tower in Benzie County to improve emergency responsiveness and services.

• $1.8 million for a new fire truck and ladder in Traverse City, which will also serve mutual aid public safety needs across the region.

• $200,500 to replace two restroom facilities along Traverse City’s bayfront, which will serve the TART Trail, west end beach, and volleyball courts.

“We received numerous proposals on a wide range of issues and projects, and while all were worthy, my priority is to advocate for expenditures that focus on critical needs and serve as much of the region as possible,” said State Representative Betsy Coffia. “My efforts were informed directly from conversations with the people of the 103rd through knocking thousands of doors last year, and from my time listening to constituents for four years as a county commissioner – you told me we needed more housing, childcare, infrastructure, public safety, economic development and more, and I have worked hard to be responsive to those needs in this budget process.”

“Traverse Connect is thrilled to see continued investment in talent development programs like Michigan Reconnect in this budget, along with new incentives for research and development to help keep our state on the cutting edge of freshwater innovation,” said Warren Call, President and CEO of Traverse Connect.

The overall budget, known as the Make it in Michigan Budget totals $81.7 billion. It includes a general fund total of $15.2 billion and a School Aid Fund total of $19.4 billion. The budget provides a significant amount of one-time funding while maintaining a structural balance in future years and does not utilize one-time funds for ongoing purposes. It makes investments to support the success of Michigan students and teachers, improve the state’s infrastructure, better the health of residents, protect natural resources, and expand opportunity for families, communities, and businesses.

“The Make it in Michigan budget will build a bright future for our state,” said Governor Whitmer. “It lowers costs on health care, preschool, meals for kids, higher education, housing, and workforce training. It will help us keep fixing the damn bridges, replacing lead pipes, and protecting public safety. And it will power ‘Make it in Michigan,’ our comprehensive vision for economic development so we can win more projects, invest in people, and revitalize places. I am so grateful to the new leadership in the legislature for getting this done. Let’s keep our foot on the accelerator.”

The budget was a bipartisan effort, the fifth straight under the leadership of Governor Whitmer, including a bipartisan effort by both Coffia and Senator John DaMoose.

“I was proud to work across the aisle to prioritize northern Michigan in budget negotiations with our region’s state senator, Sen. John Damoose,” said Coffia. “I want to publicly thank Sen. Damoose for his partnership in bringing home $15 million for the Freshwater Innovation Center project and I am proud that we stood together in casting a bipartisan YES vote for this collaborative and transformational state budget.”