CADILLAC — With winter just around the corner, snow, salted roads and plow trucks will soon be a common site on Cadillac-area roadways.
Whether it’s in Missaukee, Osceola or Wexford counties, all road commission managers said they believe the local road systems are in pretty good shape as the harshest time of year for those paved and gravel thoroughfares is set to begin. Part of the reason the managers feel that way has to do with the implementation of additional road funding dollars.
In November 2015, Gov. Rick Snyder signed a series of bills as part of a $1.2-billion road-funding package. The plan is designed to raise an additional $600 million annually in taxes for transportation purposes by increasing annual vehicle registration costs for passenger vehicles and commercial trucks. The increase is about 20 percent. It also increases the state gas tax by 7.3 cents. Owners of hybrid and all-electric vehicles pay even more.
The vehicle registration fees account for about $200 million annually in increased revenue. The fuel tax will account for $400 million in additional revenue annually. Both diesel fuel and gasoline had an applied 26.3-cent tax starting Jan. 1, 2017, in addition to Michigan’s 6 percent sales tax. The fuel tax will continue to increase by 5 percent annually, or by the inflation rate.
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