Residents in Genesee and Oakland counties didn’t send me to Lansing to raise their taxes.

I’m well aware of Michigan’s lackluster national ranking on road quality. I have heard from residents and experienced the conditions myself – often feeling that unmistakable jolt reverberate through my vehicle. Many in our state have seen popular pictures circulating on social media of potholes large enough for a person to stand in, or accommodating a family of ducks after a rainstorm.

These images are generally light-hearted, but certainly indicative. Our crumbling roadways and bridges are a serious issue and we need a fix to have continued economic prosperity.

But reaching deep into drivers’ pockets with a massive tax hike isn’t the right away to go about it. That is what the governor intends to do within her budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year – foisting a 45-cent per gallon gas tax increase on the people of Michigan based on a campaign promise to bring us better, safer roads. Residents with long work commutes and those living on fixed incomes or paycheck to paycheck will be dinged an extra $6 or $7 each time they go to the pump to fill up their tank. The state would soon soar up another rankings list by having the largest fuel sales tax in the country.

Worse, people will be forking over this extra money with no guarantees their roadways get fixed. Under the governor’s ill-advised plan, a central board would decide which projects are prioritized – using economic importance as a deciding factor. That approach unfairly pits urban areas against rural even though both urban and rural residents would be handing over the same percentage of their hard-earned dollars at the gas station in fuel taxes.

It’s a recommendation that would have far-reaching, negative economic impacts on our state and it’s one I can’t support.

There is a way to put more money toward road repairs without raising taxes. We just haven’t been maxing it out. The House’s budget plan relative to Michigan’s roads would move the current general sales tax paid at the pump to where it should be going – road repairs. Doing so would generate over $800 million per year – on top of a 2015 roads plan that is expected to deliver over $1 billion in additional revenue by 2021.

Within two years, Michigan would be putting nearly $2 billion more into fixing roads throughout the state, protecting drivers and keeping their vehicles out of the body shop. While this projected number falls just short of the $2.5 billion the governor is looking for, our plan is practical and works with what we have available. Asking taxpayers to foot a higher bill is a road I refuse to go down.

Rep. Mike Mueller, of Linden, is in his first term in the Michigan House serving residents in parts of Genesee and Oakland counties. The 51st District includes Argentine, Atlas, Fenton, Flushing and Gaines townships, and the cities of Linden and Fenton within Genesee County. It also includes the townships of Groveland, Holly and Rose within Oakland County.