State of the State – the Bigger Picture – Communities Matter

By Anthony Minghine

I was a bit surprised to hear our SaveMICity messaging in the Michigan State of the State address last night, but only because it was being applied to the disinvestment in schools and not our communities. Governor Gretchen Whitmer rightly pointed out that our state’s system for funding our schools is “broken” and that “the state Michigan has seen the lowest growth in the K-12 education spending of any state in the nation”, and “repeatedly raided K-12 education funding to fill gaps elsewhere in the state budget”. She said the system must be fixed. Sound familiar?

I wholeheartedly agree, but Michigan’s communities have been hit even harder. The disinvestment from 2002 – 2012 saw a reduction in state funding of over 56% in just a decade, making us dead last in the nation. This far eclipses any school reductions.

On one hand, imitation is the greatest form of flattery. We appreciate that our talking points for the SaveMICity campaign resonates in such a way that it can be applied to similar budgetary issues, but remember where it came from. The SaveMICity initiative has continually said “the state’s system for funding our communities is fundamentally broken”, and that “the state has continually balanced its budget on the backs of municipalities” and how the system must be fixed.

The bigger picture must not be missed that fixing roads, schools AND communities is all related. Any investment in schools, roads or other issues mentioned in last night’s speech will not make a difference to the state’s prosperity without a corresponding investment in our communities. A community’s infrastructure is the backbone of economic growth and is not limited to pipes and roads. That community infrastructure does include strong schools; but it must also include vibrant parks our children can enjoy; accessible transit systems; first responders who are there for us during the worst moments of our lives; and a safe, affordable housing stock. These are the types of assets that allow business to attract and retain the quality talent they need to thrive.

Michigan hasn’t invested in any of those things in decades. To talk about one and not the other perpetuates a Michigan that will struggle to compete for talent. In Michigan, we’re instead stuck in a cycle of scarcity. We don’t invest in community infrastructure, so our cities, villages and townships struggle to provide even basic services, let alone the types of amenities that attract both talent and business. Then we scratch our heads when our population is stagnant, and we can’t attract big employers like Amazon. The reality is that we’re in a worldwide competition for talent and the talent goes to the best places. The places that have invested in their community infrastructure are winning.

The governor is correct, talent is not choosing to live where the potholes are so deep they break their shocks or where our education system is lacking. Likewise, talent is not choosing to live where they do not have strong public safety, access to reliable public transportation, affordable housing, recreation, cultural and enrichment activities. These are all symptoms of a sustained disinvestment in our communities.

Our new state leadership has an opportunity to chart a different course for Michigan’s future – one where we invest in the community infrastructure needed to attract the best and brightest – and by doing so, for our state to grow. But unfortunately, last night’s speech missed the opportunity. We’re hopeful that when state budget proposals come out in the next month or so the bigger picture is represented.

Anthony Minghine is the COO and deptuy executive director for the Michigan Municipal League. He also is a frequent speaker and presenter for the SaveMICity initiative. He can be reached at amignhine@mml.org.