State Rep. Timmy Beson this week voted to advance plans establishing a new fund that will bolster law enforcement efforts in Michigan while keeping communities and residents in Bay County safe.

House Bills 4260-61 create the Public Safety and Violence Prevention Trust Fund. The fund will provide needed resources to embattled communities and additional investments to cities, villages, townships and counties so local police departments will be better staffed and equipped.

“Statistics show some of the most violent cities in the country are located here in Michigan,” said Beson, of Bay City. “Our courageous law enforcement officers continue to serve our communities and help keep people safe, but they are dealing with issues recruiting new officers, retaining the ones they have and making sure they have the latest equipment. Our law enforcement officers need more resources so they can make a dent in these very troubling statistics. This vote shows we are serious about protecting our neighborhoods and families in Bay County and across our state.”

The plans dedicate $115 million in annual sales tax revenue to support local law enforcement and violence prevention efforts. Of this, $72 million would be distributed to cities, villages, and townships based on their share of violent crime over the previous three years. These funds must be used exclusively for public safety, crime investigation, or violence prevention efforts, and cannot replace existing local funding.

Locally, Bay City would be slated to receive nearly $400,000 in additional funding. Bangor Township would receive $32,153, Hampton Township would receive $26,159, Monitor Township would receive $21,799, and Essexville would receive $11,444, among other local distributions in Bay County.

The plan also sets aside a total of up to $40 million for county sheriff’s offices, distributed according to the size of each county’s police force. If a county provides local police services for a township, the township’s share of funding would go to the sheriff’s office. The Bay County Sheriff’s Office could receive as much as $350,000 under the plans.

Another critical guardrail to ensure results with the funding that is dispersed is performance evaluation. Beginning in the 2027 fiscal year, a community’s share of funding would be 5% less if its violent crime rate has not decreased from its base level by 5%. Beginning in the 2029 fiscal year, that threshold will rise to 10%. These benchmarks will ensure accountability and transparency as existing tax dollars are being used.

HBs 4260-61 now move to the Senate for consideration.