Goodrich- A shift in population means a change in funding for village roads.
Due to an increase in population following the 2010 U.S. Census’the village changed from a rural community to an urban area. The population increased from 1,351 in 2000 to 1,860 in 2010 according to the nationwide count.
‘It’s now a bigger pot of money to draw from,? said Jakki Sidge, village administrator. ‘However, the competition for those funds is also greater. The village will now challenge cities like Grand Blanc and Davison for road money. In the past there were only a handful of rural areas in Genesee County, including Gaines, that we competed with.?
Sidge said funding will be available for road projects in the village if the criteria is met.
‘We need to consider road projects over the next few years,? she said. ‘Erie Street is coming up soon. And we’re starting to look at another section of Hegel Road from the bridge (at the dam) west in 2015. Only a few roads in the village qualify for Act 51.?
Act 51 establishes the Michigan Transportation Fund (MTF). Revenues collected through highway user taxes such as state motor fuel taxes, vehicle registration fees, and other miscellaneous automobile related taxes’are deposited and distributed to area municipalities.
‘There will be money available for village roads, but it’s three to four years to get it,? she said.