LANSING — Today, state Rep. Terry Sabo (D-Muskegon) voted against the Michigan House of Representatives’ omnibus budget for fiscal year 2018-19. In response, state Rep. Sabo issued the following statement on his no vote:
“I voted against this budget today because, once again, it fails our cities, townships and villages by cutting the revenue sharing dollars they depend on to provide basic services. As a former Muskegon Heights firefighter and police officer and former member of the Muskegon County Commissioner, I know exactly how much Muskegon and our neighboring cities depend on this funding. It’s harder to provide police and fire protection, it’s more costly to provide trash service to residents and businesses, and it’s a bigger struggle to properly maintain public buildings like the local courthouse, jail or clerk’s office. This is not a budget that lets our communities take care of their residents and be a place where businesses want to locate. I am a no vote, and will continue to be a no vote, until we start supporting our communities so they can thrive and create a strong local economy and contribute to the state economy as well.”