MAC’s work to enact a dedicated Revenue Sharing Trust Fund is the focus of a special and new episode of Podcast 83.

Host Stephan Currie delves into the details of the trust fund effort with MAC's governmental affairs director, Deena Bosworth.

Late in June, lawmakers did approve a $17.6 million boost in county revenue sharing, which will bring the total in FY24 to $263.4 million. However, the MAC pair noted, the trust fund initiative will relieve much of the uncertainty about funding and tie payments to the growth of sales tax revenue.

Among key points made during the discussion, taped July 11, are:

• Legislative term limits have disrupted the institutional knowledge of revenue sharing's purpose in Lansing.
• There is now a strong group of former county commissioners in the Legislature, however, who are well-positioned to aid in the trust fund effort.
• The version of the legislation that has the “most momentum” is in a House committee.
• The only stumbling block, Bosworth says, is the lack of buy-in, so far, from the State Budget Office.

“It’s called revenue sharing for a reason,” Bosworth noted. “They are supposed to be sharing the state revenue. It was established years ago because we gave up our own local taxing authority.”

See video versions of all Podcast 83 episodes on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9K0ge6AvMM2B6vh7oYNn6g

Visit the Podcast 83 page at www.micounties.org