LANSING, Mich. — Two multi-million dollar plans to fix Jackson’s roads were set to go on the November Ballot, now residents are frustrated after finding out that that won’t happen.
Small pothole in Jackson, Michigan “The roads are in very poor condition. It’s horrible,” said Susan Murdie, a long-time Jackson resident and member of the Jackson Citizen’s Advisory Committee.
The roads issue is an issue people are complaining about all across the state.
“85% of our roads from a study have been deemed need to be repaired,” said Murdie.
This January, Jackson City Council approved two plans to try to fix it the cities roads.
Residents were supposed to vote on a $161 million plan A, a $162 million dollar Plan B, or neither in a November ballot.
“I was at that meeting and there was a vote,” said Murdie. “It went down that these two ballot proposals were supposed to be on there.”
But on August 13, the state deadline to add items to the ballot, neither street millage plan was submitted.
“It was unbelievable,” said Murdie. “In fact, I was the person that wrote to our elections committee because a person from Jackson Citizens Advisory Council said where’s the ballot words and I said I haven’t seen them.”
Murdie says she went to the city elections director who told her the city did not submit the information on time.
“I can only say that it’s very suspicious,” said Murdie. “It wasn’t that somebody wasn’t paying attention to city hall, because the candidates got on the ballot but the millages didn’t.”
John Wilson, who also lives in Jackson, agreed.
“Even though they continue to say that they are open and they’re transparent. they are not,” said Wilson.
The street millage would increase taxes residents would have to pay. It’s an increase Wilson says he’s glad didn’t move forward.
“It was a city hall money grab,” said Wilson. “They need more tax dollars from the citizens to continue investing in their downtown development.”
Wilson believes the city should pay to fix the roads with existing funds or a loan.
There is a regularly scheduled city council meeting happening on Tuesday night. That’s where it’s expected to be discussed why the two millages won’t be on the November ballot and what happens next.
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