State Rep. Brian BeGole today voted to finalize a budget agreement that invests locally in Shiawassee County, respects taxpayers and supports vital services.

The plan that will soon be headed to the governor will cost taxpayers less than the current fiscal year budget, includes no new taxes and does not raid the state’s rainy-day fund – all things BeGole and House Republicans fought for as the budget process played out.

“We fought for less spending on the backs of taxpayers after the governor originally proposed a 16 percent increase in spending and 1,000 new taxpayer-funded government positions,” said BeGole, of Antrim Township. “State spending had grown by 43 percent under Gov. Whitmer, with some departments doubling in size. We’ve pushed back against these unchecked and unsustainable government expansion efforts. This agreement respects what taxpayers can afford and still makes historic investments without raising taxes and fees.”

BeGole secured a nearly $3.3 million investment within the agreement that will go toward nitrification tower replacement at the Owosso Wastewater Treatment Plant. The three failing towers at the facility are the backbone of its biological treatment process and essential for removing ammonia and other nitrogen compounds before treated water is discharged into the Shiawassee River.

“This is a good start for needed repairs and ensuring the facility is up to date,” BeGole said. “I am continuing work in the Legislature to get funding in, bring awareness to the stakes involved if these towers were to fail, and ensure costs don’t fall to ratepayers for this to get fixed.” 

Other highlights of the agreement include:

Eliminating ghost employees – After removing more than 2,000 vacant positions in state government last year, the budget agreement eliminates an additional 250 “ghost” positions – roles that are funded but not filled. The budget maintains a full-time employee cushion to ensure departments can meet staffing needs and cover overtime, particularly for public safety roles like state police and corrections officers.

Supporting students and schools – The budget includes record-high per-pupil funding with a $250 increase, bringing the foundation allowance to $10,300. The plan also continues investments in breakfast and lunch programs, mental health and school safety funding, includes $50 million in new funding for tutoring services to help kids who are struggling, and provides resources for teacher bonuses, dual enrollment, bus services, and more.

Holding state government accountable – The agreement reins in the state Attorney General to stop politicized lawsuits and removes IT project oversight from the Secretary of State after multiple projects saw delays and cost overruns. The budget also makes several reforms for state welfare programs to combat fraud, including putting ID chips in bridge cards, adding a verification component to self-attestation, checking eligibility against federal data bases, and monthly error rate checks and reporting to ensure resources are there for people most in need instead of people gaming the system.

Energy cost transparency – The plan requires the Michigan Public Service Commission to provide clear explanations to the Legislature when evaluating utility rate increases. The commission has approved $1 billion in rate hikes on utility customers since 2023. This new layer of oversight will help address rising energy costs for families.