LANSING - It. Gov. Brian Calley recently signed a mid-fiscal year 2014 budget supplemental, dedicating nearly $330 million to help fix winter road damage, fund vital mental health services, and to support the Office for New Americans, among other programs.
"While Michigan is still in need of a comprehensive road funding and maintenance solution, the money provided in the supplemental will definitely benefit local governments and drivers as we work to fix the potholes and other road problems brought on by the hareh winter," Calley said.
The supplemental includes $100 million specifically dedicated for treating potholes and other winter-related upkeep. The remaining $115 million is earmarked for priority construction projects that begin by July 1.
Additionally, the supplemental provides up to $76 million to the Department of Community Health to ensure that more than 52,000 residents will continue to receive mental health services.
"Caring for Michiganders with mental health and developmental disabilities is something we believe in and have made great progress on over the past three years. I am pleased well continue to support the services that they receive," said Calley.
The Office for New Americans, which Gov. Rick Snyder created by executive order in January, also received $170,000. The office works to attract more legal immigrants with advanced academic degrees or entrepreneurial aspirations to help create more and better jobs in the state.
Other important programs or projects that were included in the supplemental include:
$27 million for home heating assistance; $7.2 million for the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs for armory and maintenance improvements; $3.4 million for the Hutzel Women's Hospital; $2.3 million in disaster relief funds for counties suffering from last year's flooding; $2 million to expand delivery of veterans services; $1 million for the Michigan State Police to help municipalities cleanup from December's winter storm, and $750,000 for the state's Indigent Defense Commission.
Calley said he remains hopeful and looks forward to working with the Legislature to reach consensus on filling a more than $114 million budget hole for the Health Insurance Claims Assessment Tax, and for operating costs for the Southeast Michigan Regional Transit Authority. U