Traverse Connect and the Northern Michigan Chamber Alliance are engaged in the Fiscal Year 2022 budget process and advocating for budget items that support our communities in developing and attracting a talented workforce to reinvigorate our economy – and that includes a focus on housing, childcare, and training.
There are numerous moving parts to the Fiscal Year 2022 budget process and last week appropriation subcommittees released their recommendations. We anticipate the full appropriations committees will pass their budgets next week after they take up a supplemental budget this week.
The Michigan State House zeroed out many of the Governor’s budget priorities, including some of our priorities. The House also intends to only pass a quarter of the funding that might typically be allocated to an agency (quarterly budgeting) for a number of departments. The Senate budget was more favorable to our priorities, but we still saw a number of items zeroed out. We know that this is all part of a long process and in preparation for further negotiating.
Traverse Connect and the Alliance continue to communicate with decision-makers on budget items that are important to us. We will need to provide additional advocacy for items like the Michigan Housing and Community Development Program; investments in childcare and programming outside of school; Going Pro (one-time increase); the Reconnect Program (one-time funds); and Futures for Frontliners (one-time funds). All of these items were zeroed out in one or both chambers’ appropriations subcommittees recommendations.
