- Road funding is a pressing issue across Michigan, including Eaton County, where residents voiced concerns during a local "Let's Talk" event.
- Ed Noyola from the County Road Association explained that limited state funding—like the $16 million Eaton County received in 2024—only allows for short- to medium-term fixes.
- The road repair process depends heavily on available resources, contractor scheduling, and outdated infrastructure, with funding shortfalls cited as the biggest barrier to long-term improvements.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
It's an ongoing conversation I've been reporting on in my neighborhood of the state capitol: road funding.
And it's a conversation that affects every corner of the state, including Eaton County, and Eaton County neighbors wanted to talk about the roads at FOX47's Let's Talk event, which was all about listening to you.
So we took those questions to the County Road Association, where Ed Noyola is the legislative liaison.
"Money drives everything," Noyola said.
Noyola told me those dollars are where every project starts.
"What projects should we be looking at or what projects do we think we can afford to deal in the next construction season," Noyola said.
According to the House Fiscal Agency, in 2024, Eaton County received almost 16 million dollars from the state gas tax and registration fees for road projects.
"We tend to do medium or short-term fixes. With the amount of money we are getting, that's all we can afford if I am honest with you," Noyola said.
After deciding on a road project and what it will cost to fix it, the hiring begins.
"It all depends on when you go out to bid and what contractors are available. Some contractors have the summer all lined up, so you have to wait until the fall," Noyola said.
Then, once a deal is made and a date is confirmed.
"He can begin as soon as the start date on that contract," Noyola said.
And those orange cones start popping back up.
Noyola tells me that while the process might sound easy, it's all about the resources that the state, counties, and cities have to get them all done.
"It's not that we are inefficient or that we don't care. It's the lack of revenue not keeping up with the deterioration and the lack of funding for decades," Noyola said.
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