Ferndale, other Michigan cities lobby for lost millions
FERNDALE, Mich. (FOX 2) -
Ferndale is one of the most attractive cities in metro Detroit when it comes to live, work and play according to many.
In recent years though, millions of dollars have been taken from the city’s coffers, in the form of shrinking contributions from the state.
Ferndale City Councilwoman Laura Mikulski is one of several lobbying to fix that.
"When you think of a city, a city is really a service-based business and our services are often times - people that are biggest expense," she said. "So, police, fire, DPW, Parks and Recreation all those things that make a city functional, those are people and ultimately it will come down to people as well as the buildings that keep our people happy."
Mikulski said that while many state funds are set up in the constitution, and protected, there are statutory funds that can easily be cut, and they have been in recent years. Since the early 2000s, Ferndale has lost about $27 million.
"So each year it has decreased year over a year over a year until when we really looked at her book at the end of at the end of time we’re at 27 million that we’ve been in funded," she said.
Ferndale, along with nearly a dozen other communities in the area are urging state lawmakers to pass a pair of bills that will save those statutory funds, keep people working, and put more dough into local economies.
"We are hoping that with all these cities combined really putting pressure on Lansing that they’ll finally take notice and will finally move this forward," Mikulski said.
