Tri-City Sun

State Representative Bill G. Schuette presented his legislative proposal, House Bill 4118, to the House Government Operations Committee. The bill aims to alleviate financial burdens on property owners in Midland and Gladwin counties by changing how drain assessments are applied to state lands managed by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

Under current regulations, state-owned lands such as those under the DNR are exempt from special assessments like drain assessments unless otherwise specified. This exemption means that local property owners and communities often bear the costs associated with necessary infrastructure maintenance.

Schuette's proposal seeks to allow county drain commissioners to apply these assessments equally to DNR-managed properties, aligning them with existing practices for other state-owned properties like those managed by the Michigan Department of Transportation.

"This is an issue I hear about frequently from residents and townships I represent in the Michigan House," Schuette stated. "This legislation provides commonsense reforms for when infrastructure needs maintenance and it falls almost entirely on DNR property. Those few homeowners or farmers nearby are expected to bear the brunt of the extraordinary cost associated with the repairs due to current DNR exemptions."

He further commented on state spending plans: "The governor proposed over $80 billion in state spending for the upcoming fiscal year. The state shouldn’t be nickel and diming people for repairs on DNR land."

House Bill 4118 continues to be reviewed by the committee.