The Ionia County Board of Commissioners voted on March 12, 2024, to approve significant revisions to the Road Department’s budgeting policies for the construction of primary and local roads and bridges. The changes aim to streamline the funding process and address the financial challenges faced by local townships.
Linda Pigue, the Managing Director of the Ionia County Road Department, presented the policy updates, highlighting their potential to simplify the budgeting process for road and bridge construction. One key amendment involves a resolution to “grandfather in” local bridge funding applications submitted before January 1, 2026. This move ensures that townships can proceed with planned projects without the pressure of new funding requirements.
Pigue explained the existing policy, which mandates that townships contribute 50% of the local match for funding primary road bridges, alongside shares for preliminary and construction engineering costs. The revised “Policy 03,” titled “Construction on Primary Roads and Bridges,” shifts the financial burden entirely onto the Road Department for upgrades to the primary road system. This policy aims to alleviate the financial strain on townships, particularly in light of soaring construction costs.
The revised language emphasizes that all bridge preservation, rehabilitation, and replacement projects, including those utilizing state and federal funds, will be fully covered by the Road Department. This includes all associated costs, such as engineering, permitting, and right-of-way expenses.
Conversely, “Policy 04,” titled “Construction on Local Roads and Bridges,” establishes that local townships will be responsible for all improvements and preventative maintenance on local roads and bridges. The policy underscores that these costs similarly apply to projects funded through the local bridge program and federal grants.
During the meeting, Commissioner Larry Tiejema raised the issue of increasing the county’s road millage to help finance the improvements needed for both local and primary roads and bridges. This suggestion came in response to the staggering costs associated with replacing Ionia County’s infrastructure.
Ionia County currently maintains 33 primary road bridges and 34 local road bridges. Pigue reported that replacing all primary road bridges would cost approximately $3,722,920, while the cost for local road bridge replacements is projected to be around $14,731,250. Although federal grants are available, local governments must also provide matching funds, which can strain their budgets.
Pigue highlighted a specific case where federal funding was sought for a bridge replacement estimated at $1,452,000. The required local match was $72,600, to be split with Ronald Township. As costs escalated due to exclusions of construction-related expenses from federal grants, the burden on the township increased, leading to difficulties in funding.
Board Chair Jack Shattuck expressed reservations about the necessity of the policy changes, citing that the previous policy had functioned adequately over the years. He stated, “The policy we had in place worked fine for a lot of years; it just didn’t work okay for this one instance.” Shattuck was concerned that the new policies would disproportionately affect financially weaker townships.
In response, Pigue argued for the need to adapt policies to current realities. She noted, “The cost of replacing and repairing bridges is skyrocketing, and I just don’t think most townships are going to be able to afford this.”
The board ultimately voted 5-2 in favor of the revised policies and the resolution to protect existing applications. Shattuck and Tiejema cast the dissenting votes, indicating a split in perspective on how best to manage the county’s road budget amid rising costs.
In additional matters, the Ionia County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to set the date for their annual organizational meeting for January 13, 2026, and approved contracts for various road maintenance services. The board also discussed the renewal of contracts for essential technologies used by the Central Dispatch, reflecting ongoing efforts to maintain operational efficiency within the county’s infrastructure.
As the decisions made during this meeting unfold, the impact on local townships and infrastructure funding will continue to be closely monitored by both officials and residents alike.
