The truth hurts: Breaking down the state of Brighton roads

Susan Bromley
Livingston Daily

Higher taxes or poorer roads.

Brighton Department of Public Works operators Shane Basch, left, and Steve Brown patch potholes near State and Fifth Streets in the city of Brighton Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2018.

Those are the choices, says Carmine Palombo, deputy executive director of the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments.

“People don’t like it and nobody wants to pay taxes, but at the end of the day, there is not enough money for the cities, the county road commissions, MDOT, or any public agency to improve the road systems the way they need to be improved,” said Palombo. “No one wants to hear it, but that is the truth.”

Deteriorating roads across the state lead to wrecked vehicles, like the ones he cites that were piled up on the sides of US 23 near Ann Arbor on Tuesday with flat tires from hitting potholes. Insurance rates climb with claims on resulting damage. Worst of all, swerving to avoid potholes, or a piece of crumbling concrete from an overpass or which becomes airborne when a vehicle strikes it can potentially result in injuries or fatalities.

In Brighton, city officials are asking voters this August for a 4.34 mill increase to improve and maintain city roads. Of those roads, 75% are in failing or in poor condition, and the city is responsible for caring for all of them, with the exception of a portion of Challis Road, maintained by the Livingston County Road Commission.


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The challenge for city officials lies in getting taxpayers to agree to the millage increase amidst common misconceptions about roads, how they got to the condition they are in, why there is a funding shortfall, who is responsible for the roads, and what will happen if the millage does not pass.

Here are some key questions and answers:

Q: How did we get so short on funding for roads?

A: The state legislature has not provided enough revenue for any agency responsible for maintaining and improving roads, said Palombo, including cities like Brighton, as well as road commissions and the Michigan Department of Transportation — despite requests for the last two decades.

“What you are seeing right now is the result of the continued disinvestment in the system, not just the last few years, but for a long, long time,” he said. “We’re not able to keep up with deterioration.”

The problem has been compounded with the economic recession that began around 2007 with the housing market crash. Property tax revenue collection fell dramatically for all municipalities in accordance with the drop in assessed values on homes.

Property values have begun to recover, but the Headlee Amendment, passed in 1978, has a property tax revenue limitation in which mills must be reduced if assessed value of property increases more than the rate of inflation. As a result, communities including Brighton are levying millages well below what was previously authorized by voters. Passage of the 4.346 mill increase would bring the city back to the full 20 mills allowed under their charter.

The state House on Wednesday approved an additional $175 million in road funding for the upcoming construction season. Next week, the state senate is expected to do the same. Under the plan, $38.1 million would be distributed to cities and villages across the state, $68.4 million would be allocated to the state’s 83 counties and another $68.4 million would be used for state trunkline preservation and enhancement projects. Some $50,258 is expected to go to the city of Brighton, and about $62,187 to Howell.

Q: What about increased gas taxes and registration fees passed by the state legislature which began to take effect last year?

A: These fees go into one large pot of money, with 39% of the revenue going to the Michigan Department of Transportation; 39% to the 83 county road commissions in the state, and 22% of the total revenue shared among more than 500 local governments across the state. The formula for money each city, township or village receives takes into account populations and the total miles of roads in each community.

“Basically, Brighton is getting a tiny sliver of 22% to take care of all of our roads and that amount is not enough to maintain 30 miles of streets in the city,” said Jessica Lienhardt, assistant to the city manager. “The state didn’t get as much as they thought they would and most of that doesn’t come back to us.”

The last yearly ACT 51 amount for the City of Brighton was just under $575,000, said Lienhardt.

Q: How long does the average road last?

A: In Brighton, DPW Director Marcel Goch says the average road is well over 20-years-old, the length of time it can be reasonably expected to last.

The longevity of a road depends heavily on maintenance, including crack sealing, chip sealing, patching and making sure a road has the correct drainage.

“We have not been able to do all the proper pavement preservation investment due to lack of funding,” said Goch. “The higher the road rating, more you want to take care of them. As they progress to lower rating, you need to take steps to increase that life again. When it gets to the point where it’s beyond repair, you don’t want to spend that money. It’s not a positive return on investment.”

Q: Is shoddy workmanship or materials to blame for failing roads?

A: No, says Palombo, who explains that the state does a lot of research on materials, but the problem goes back to the limited funds and municipalities or agencies forced into doing 5-, 10-, or 15-year “fixes” to stretch dollars.

He notes it is common for people to think it must be inferior workmanship or materials that were used on a road they saw being fixed just a few years prior when in truth, it is not poor work, but a lack of money to make longer-term improvements or repairs.

MDOT has implemented a road warranty program to help avoid problems with materials or contractor workmanship.

Brighton has used MDOT certified contractors as cities must if the work is state-funded. If the work is not state funded, the city may use other contractors and contracts may contain warranty language, but it generally only lasts one year, said Goch, unless otherwise specified.

"There can be a performance bond that is required but this is for the duration of the construction," he said. "Poor workmanship generally is not a problem when you have a trusted engineering firm and properly vetted contractor, many issues that may occur can be avoided with proper construction."

Q: What leads to the deterioration of roads?

A: More than anything else, water.

Michigan winters are particularly brutal to infrastructure with water getting under the road, freezing, and then breaking the road. The salt that must be used on roads to keep them safe from ice is a double-edged sword, notes Goch, as it also damages the roads.

City of Brighton Public Works snow plows hit the streets after a heavy snowfall Friday, Feb. 9, 2018.

Q: Will President Donald Trump’s recent budget recommendations and plans for infrastructure help improve our roads?

A: Not likely said Palomobo.

He explains Trump is providing about $200 billion additional dollars as “seed money” from a $1.5 trillion dollar trust fund, in which the federal government would offer 10% matches if communities come up with the rest of the money.

“He wants state and local government to raise taxes for the money,” said Palombo. “I don’t see an awful lot of relief coming there at all.”

Q: What is most misunderstood about infrastructure challenges?

A: “The perception that if we cut enough or grow enough we can solve this,” said Geinzer. “The size and scope of this is so large, it cannot be addressed through other tools or resources. Our streets are not the only problem we are trying to address… The streets are our number concern and the size and scope of that problem cannot be adequately addressed without a dedicated and sustained funding mechanism.”

The millage would raise about $1.85 million a year for road improvements, and cost the owner of a home with a taxable value of $100,000 about $434 a year.

Q: What happens if the millage doesn’t pass?

A: Roads that are in poor or failing condition, as many of Brighton’s roads are, progress quickly to catastrophic failure. Very few things can slow that deterioration.

Geinzer said city officials would have to figure out another option for additional investment, which could not be reached through “a little savings here, a little there.” Instead, the city would be looking to have very difficult conversations about cuts to services.

When a paved road is beyond repair, Goch said it could be pulverized and returned to gravel.

“Right now, we have an opportunity to make a meaningful and sustained investment on our street system and can make good progress on improving the system as a whole,” said Geinzer. “If we begin now, with $1.85 million, we can make progress to satisfactory road conditions.”

Palombo said citizens want to believe they are putting enough money in, but they are not.

“No one wants to pay additional taxes, but the choice is we make an investment, or be satisfied with things the way they are and deteriorating. They will not get better by not investing more money.”

Detroit Free Press reporter Kathleen Gray contributed to this report. Contact Susan Bromley at Follow on Twitter  @SusanBromley10