EATON COUNTY, Mich. — An Olivet resident is making his voice heard after receiving drain bills totaling more than $40,000. Jim Billig is calling for changes to the process that leads to drain projects in Eaton County.
- Olivet homeowner Jim Billig received two drain assessments totaling approximately $40,000.
- The current Drain Code requires only 5 property owners to petition for drainage projects.
- Billig is contacting state representatives daily to advocate for changes to the system.
I visited Billig's home to see how he's working to make change happen.
WATCH: Olivet homeowner advocates for drain assessment reform
"As you walk in the door of our house, you'll see our beautiful artwork from the grandchildren," Billig said as he showed me around his home.
Billig says he moved to Olivet to make memories like these with family.
"And this is where my inheritance goes instead of a huge assessment on a drain," Billig said.
He says he moved in about three years ago and inherited a drain assessment of about $20,000, then received another assessment for about the same amount a few years later. The bills total approximately $40,000.
To pay it off, Billig pays in installments, about $3,000 on his tax bill each year.
"It just doesn't seem fair, it also doesn't seem fair the way a drain is initiated," Billig said.
Billig has shown up at several county meetings to talk to commissioners and make his voice heard.
The current Drain Code requires 5 property owners to petition the drainage commissioner to initiate projects like the ones affecting Billig. It's a process he doesn't think gives him enough of a say.
"The rules need to change, and I'm not saying I'm going to be the one to change them, but I'm gonna make a little noise," Billig said.
Part of that is taking time in the morning to call his state representatives just about every day.
"My name is Jim Billig, I live in Olivet, Michigan, I'm calling to talk about the Eaton County Drain System," he demonstrates during his daily calls.
He has a goal with each of the calls he makes.
"I would love to talk to Governor Whitmer, that's unheard of, I guess, I've talked to some of her staff," Billig said.
Billig says staff have gotten back to him, but he hasn't had the chance to talk directly to the officials he's trying to reach.
"None of these people personally, just their staff with a note that they'll look into it and get back to me," Billig said.
I reached out to the Eaton County Drain Office and several of the officials whom Billig calls, asking for comment for this report.
Eaton County Communications Director Logan Bailey and State Representative Sarah Anthony responded to my messages in time for this story. They told me they secured some state money to help pay for drain projects like the ones affecting Billig, and they'd like to see even more money for these projects from the state. They also told me they're exploring solutions to give neighbors more of a voice in the drainage petition process.
The full statements from Bailey and Anthony are available below.
"Eaton County secured $5 million in state grant funding to relieve residents, the township, the county, and all parties in the drainage district in 2024 for an almost $60 million drain project. Eaton County, in partnership with legislative members, is working to try and secure an additional $10 million for financial relief for residents only in the same drain district. But we acknowledge that these efforts have not been enough to provide significant relief to these property owners, and drain projects throughout the county and state represent a huge financial burden for residents. In addition, Eaton County is working with state officials to analyze and determine if changes to the Drain Code in Michigan would make the processes more equitable and possibly mitigate the effects of the immense cost on property owners living in any drain district.” Said Bailey
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Thank you for reaching out for comment. Here is a statement from Sen. Anthony:
"While many decisions related to drain projects and the financing of those projects are made on the local government level, my office remains committed to working closely with residents facing high local tax assessments to help ease rising costs whenever possible. As Senate Appropriations Chair, I’ve prioritized direct investment in local water and sewer infrastructure to help offset the cost of these essential—but often expensive—upgrades, doing everything we can to ensure residents don’t bear the brunt of those costs. In the last two state budgets, I led the charge to secure over $20 million for water and sewer infrastructure upgrades in Eaton County, with an additional $5 million to help offset the costs associated with the Bank Intercounty Drain project. We also invested $28.5 million in the State Revolving Fund to help support low-cost financing for municipal wastewater facilities and drinking water projects, another step to protect landowners from facing astronomical costs to cover essential services. One thing has become abundantly clear over the last six months: residents need relief. That’s why my team and I are exploring every possible solution, including long-overdue updates to Michigan’s Drain Code to give residents a stronger voice in the process and establish objective guardrails around how drain assessments are determined."
Best,
Kristi
Chief of Staff
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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