COUNTY ROAD AGENCY
House Bill 4830 (Substitute H-1)
Sponsor: Rep. Fred Miller
1st Committee: Intergovernmental and Regional Affairs
2nd Committee: Urban Policy
Complete to 5-12-09
A SUMMARY OF HOUSE BILL 4830 AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON 5-5-09
The bill would amend the County Road Law. That act allows a county with a population of 1.5 million or more that has adopted a charter under Public Act 293 of 1966 (the charter county law) to reorganize the powers and duties otherwise provided by law for a board of county road commissioners. This reorganization can occur by amendment to the charter.
House Bill 4830 would amend the County Road Law (MCL 224.6) to allow this reorganization in a county with a population of 750,000 or more that "is adopting" a charter under PA 293, and would allow the reorganization "within the writing of" the charter.
[A charter commission is at work currently in Macomb County drafting a proposed new charter that would organize the county under a county executive form of government. It would have to be approved by voters to be adopted. The bill is understood to allow the powers and duties of the county road commission to be reorganized as part of the adoption of a new charter rather than requiring the reorganization to be attempted through an separate amendment to the new charter once the charter was in place.]
FISCAL IMPACT:
With the exception of Wayne County, every county in the state currently has a road commission established under the authority of PA 283 of 1909. Wayne County is a charter county under the authority of Public Act 293 of 1966, and is the only county with a census population greater than 1.5 million. The functions of the road commission were assumed by the Wayne County Board of Commissioners by charter amendment in 1984.
Two other Michigan counties would meet the population threshold proposed in House Bill 4830, Oakland and Macomb.
The bill would appear to have minimal fiscal impact on local costs. The cost difference between having a separate road commission and organizing county road agency functions as a department within county government would appear to be relatively small.
POSITIONS:
Department of Transportation is neutral on the bill. (5-5-09)
Indicating opposition to the bill were representatives from the County Road Association of Michigan, the Macomb County Road Commission, and the Oakland County Road Commission. (5-5-09)
Fiscal Analyst: William E. Hamilton
■ This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.