State Rep. Timmy Beson is working to secure funding for the Bay City Bridge while protecting taxpayer dollars and bringing more accountability to Lansing.

Beson recently joined the House Appropriations Committee in pausing over $600 million in work projects from last year’s budget. Beson noted that because this funding was originally jammed through in one bill instead of having each project vetted and approved in a formal hearing process, many good projects – like $1.6 million in cost reimbursement for the bridge – were lumped in with irresponsible, expensive ones that used questionable practices and catered to fringe interests instead of prioritizing value for Bay County residents.

In addition, some of these paused work projects had yet to receive any dollars despite the budget being signed more than a year ago. Beson said in those particular cases, it is important for legislators to understand why and ensure tax dollars aren’t being held by the state as catch-all slush funds for bureaucrats.

“By pausing all this funding and reviewing these projects, we can separate effective uses of tax dollars from ineffective,” Beson said. “I will soon be introducing a legislative spending request for every single dollar of the original $1.6 million that was to go to the Bay City Bridge. I went to Lansing to fight for Bay County, and I will continue to do so with this funding and many other things we have championed this term, like increased per-pupil spending to help students and lower state income taxes to help people keep more of what they earn. I am also focused on prioritizing effective programs, cutting waste and delivering better value for people I represent.

“I am working with local leaders and state budget officials to make sure that projects in our community that are caught up in this get the attention they deserve in the new review process. The funding is not gone. It returns to the state’s general budget fund with no strings attached and it can be installed within upcoming budget negotiations. I intend to do exactly that.”

Last month, Beson voted to finalize a plan requiring all proposed enhancement grants and special budget projects to be posted online at least 45 days before any vote. The new ethics and transparency standards ensure the budgeting process he is working to remedy won’t play out again, as taxpayers and legislators would have meaningful time to review individual spending proposals before taxpayer dollars are allocated.