Two of Bay City’s four bridges are in dire need of renovations that could cost as much as 9 million dollars.
A private company has offered to purchase the bridges and make the necessary renovations for a cost. They would take ownership and turn the spans into toll bridges.
If you ask the average Bay City resident what they think about privatizing the city’s bridges, the response is overwhelmingly negative.
“I just feel like the people are taxed enough already.. So I don’t really like it” Said Bay City resident Brian Kontranowski.
Margaret Schultz, aslo a resident, adds that “To make a decision to toll everybody in this small city to me is ridiculous. I think it’s crazy, I really do.”
But if you talk to city Mayor Kathleen Newsham there just aren’t many options left for the bridges.
“I think it might be something we have to look at soon to address this issue.”
Over the next five years the city will be on the hook for nine million dollars in repairs to the Liberty and Independence bridges, with another 700 thousand dollars needed for repairs to the state run Lafayette bridge by 2020.
“Every time we turn around there are more costs that are being incurred by these bridges.”
Mayor Newsham said the city just doesn’t have that kind of money.
“For our residents our median income is about 38. So we are a struggling community as well as several other communities in our state.”
Newsham said the only way she sees for maintaining the bridges other than privatization would be a county wide millage.
Jim Barcia, the Bay County Executive, said that is unlikely. He cites a 2014 state proposal to generate transportation funding through increases in the gas tax and vehicle registration.
“Here in Bay County that proposal went down by a margin 85 percent to 15 percent.”
The Independence Bridge sees roughly 26 thousand cars pass over it every day, but while many of those are likely from out of town, city officials say it’s unlikely Bay County will want to chip in.
According to City Commissioner Andrew Nijinsky, it would be hard to ask the county to pay for the city’s needs.
“A millage system it would be hard for someone in Gibson Township, our northern most township, to support a millage that will help out Bay City because they may never touch the city.”
That isn’t to say city officials aren’t leery about handing control of the bridges over to a private company.
The company behind the proposal, United Bridge Partners, would set the tolls at one dollar for city residents and two dollars for out of city residents, but Nijinsky said that will likely hit poorer residents harder.
“Those folks are struggling already and it’s hard to say ‘pay a dollar or two dollars to cross this bridge every time.’”
Kerice Basmadjian is a Bay City Commissioner. She said those costs would add up quickly.
“I cross the bridge at least back and forth at least once every day. But there are times, since this came up I’ve paid attention, and there are times I’m back and forth four five times. It’s just a lot of money”
City officials also expressed concern about handing the bridge over to a private company that, at the end of the day, is out to make a profit.
Representatives for United Bridge Partners could not be reached for comment.
But in Chesapeake, Virginia, where one of United Bridge Partners previous projects is located, residents and city council members reported having a positive relationship with the company. Although, as one reporter from the local paper pointed out, toll roads and bridges have become a way of life in Chesapeake.
Bay City Mayor Newsham said the city has delayed this decision for too long.
“This is an article from 1989 in the Bay City Times and back in 1989 these two bridges were talked about.”
Commissioner Basmadjian agrees - the decision is going to have to come soon, but she wants to make sure it’s the right one.
“It’s hard and it’s not fun but they need to be done. We need to hear from the constituents and we need to have all the options on the table so we can make the best choices.”
Whatever the city chooses it’s clear that it will have an impact on Bay City and it’s community for years to come.