Voters will have the opportunity Nov. 5 to allow the state to borrow no more than $1 billion that will be used to protect lakes, rivers and even residences of raw sewage.
Proposal 2, if passed, will authorize the state to take out bonds totaling up to $1 billion to finance sewage treatment, storm water and water pollution projects.
The proposal would provide money to local governments allowing them to finance some of the expenses associated with restoring and improving current wastewater collection, water conveyance and water treatment systems.
With the proposal, annual bond sales could not exceed $100 million, annual debt service payments would be $12.7 million initially and the state will repay loans during a 30-year period at a subsidized interest rate.
The direct effect on Michigan citizens would be a quicker upgrading of the sewer infrastructure across the state, said James Clift, policy director of the Michigan Environmental Council.
Should the proposal be adopted, Clift said, less beaches would be closed due to sewage overflow and more innovative ways to take care of water would be implemented.
Clift said the biggest obstacle for the initiative is “getting people to understand the proposal.”
Problems that often arise from Michigan’s current sewage-treatment system is the inundation of rain water on sewage treatment plants during the year, making less room for the actual sewage.
“If you could somehow divert some of the rain water, the system can handle the sewage going into it,” Clift said.
He said though every city may not access the money, all cities will see improvement through cleaner lakes and rivers.
• Proposal 1 eliminates straight-party voting in general elections. The proposal also would permit voters to correct their errors in the polls and penalize people for stealing campaign signs among other things.
• Proposal 3 would amend the state constitution making it legal for state employees to participate in collective bargaining with binding arbitration.
• Proposal 4 would take money obtained from the tobacco lawsuit and reappropriate it from merit-based scholarships and other education programs toward tobacco health care programs.
For more information on the Nov. 5 elections, go to www.michigan.gov/sos.
