UPDATE: The Ionia County Board of Commissioners has just approved critical revisions to road budgeting policies, aiming to streamline funding for local and primary road construction. This decision, made on October 24, 2023, is set to have an immediate impact on infrastructure projects across the county.
During a tense meeting, Managing Director Linda Pigue emphasized the necessity of these policy updates, stating they will simplify the budgeting process for vital road and bridge repairs. The new policies will now allow the Road Department to fully fund upgrades to primary roads, relieving local townships of their previous financial burdens.
“If we have a policy that we have to keep coming back and saying, ‘We need a variance from it,’ maybe it’s time to acknowledge that policy doesn’t work anymore,” Pigue argued, highlighting the soaring costs of bridge repairs. Just to replace all 33 primary road bridges would cost an estimated $3,722,920, while replacing 34 local road bridges would total around $14,731,250.
The revised “Policy 03” mandates that all costs associated with primary road projects—engineering, permitting, and construction—will now be covered entirely by the Road Department. Conversely, “Policy 04” shifts the financial responsibility for local road and bridge improvements to the townships, a move that has sparked controversy among the commissioners.
Commissioner Jack Shattuck opposed the revisions, expressing concern that not all townships can afford the full costs. He stated,
“The policy we had in place worked fine for a lot of years, it just didn’t work OK for this one instance.”
His dissent reflects worries that financial disparities between townships could widen under the new policy.
Notably, the board also approved a resolution to “grandfather in” local bridge funding applications submitted before January 1, 2026. This decision aims to protect ongoing projects from the abrupt changes in policy, ensuring that local governments can still access necessary funds.
In addition to policy changes, Commissioner Larry Tiejema proposed increasing the county’s road millage to further support road improvements. However, no immediate action was taken on this suggestion.
The urgency of these revisions is underscored by the fact that federal grants are available for some projects, but local governments must also contribute a portion of the funding. Pigue noted,
“We applied for federal funding to replace a bridge that was going to cost $1,452,000. The local match was going to be $72,600, which we would have split 50-50 with Ronald Township.”
This situation exemplifies the pressing need for a policy that reflects current financial realities.
The board’s vote concluded with a narrow margin of 5-2 in favor of the policy updates, indicating significant debate among commissioners about the best path forward for Ionia County’s infrastructure.
As this story develops, residents and local officials are urged to stay informed about further implications of these policy changes on community road projects. The commission’s decisions today could reshape the landscape of local infrastructure funding for years to come.
