Gov. Rick Snyder: Swift Senate approval of $30 million for water bills shows strong commitment to Flint residents

If approved by House, supplemental funding for Flint totals $67.3 this fiscal year

LANSING, Mich. – February 5, 2016 – (RealEstateRama) — The proposal announced yesterday by Gov. Rick Snyder to aid the city of Flint with credits to be applied to the portion of residents’ water and sewer bills for water used for drinking, bathing and cooking is one step closer to enactment after the state Senate voted unanimously today for passage of the $30 million dollar funding request.

“We want to provide relief to Flint residents who were paying for water they could not drink,” Snyder said. “The entire state continues to demonstrate unity in coming together for the residents of Flint, and I greatly appreciate the acts of cooperation, bipartisanship and good will that are advancing Flint’s recovery.”

If approved by both chambers and signed into law, the Consumption and Consumer Use Credit would aid the city of Flint in applying these credits to residents’ water portion of their water and sewer bills until state and federal officials certify the water is safe to consume. Under the plan, the city would credit residential bills going back to April 2014 for water used for drinking, bathing and cooking – about 65 percent of the water portion of residential water and sewer bills. Residents would still be responsible for covering sewer costs as well as water not used for consumption – such as flushing toilets, hot water boilers and outside water use.

Last Friday, Snyder signed a supplemental budget bill for Flint for $28 million to supply free bottled water, faucet filters, and testing kits for Flint residents, put nurses in local schools to monitor student health and well-being, provide better nutrition for students and infants through WIC and in-school nutrition programs and fund other health care and follow-up services for children with high lead levels.

The $28 million is in addition to $9.3 million appropriated in Oct. 2015 to move back to Detroit’s water system, test drinking water and provide wraparound services for children. If this $30 million is approved by the House, state funding for Flint’s water crisis for this Fiscal Year will total $67.3 million.

The supplemental spending now heads to the House for consideration, where it will be held for 5 days according to the Constitution before it can be voted on.

The governor will formally present his Fiscal Year 2016-2017 budget recommendation on Feb. 10 in Lansing.