Bay City commissioners voted unanimously on Monday to privatize two of the four bridges leading into the city.
The issue had been debated for three years. Some commissioners raised concerns about how privatized toll bridges would impact low-income residents.
Kathleen Newsham is the Bay City Mayor. She said the city just doesn’t have the funds to maintain the bridges.
“We were spending upwards of a million dollars every year and that money was coming from our streets budget,” she said. “Our streets in Bay City, as well as all across the state, are in bad repair.”
Newsham said the city even sought state assistance.
“We didn’t have very many options. We went to Lansing and spoke to the former MDOT director and his first response was ‘there is no money. There is no money to help you with that bridge.’”
A five-million dollar contract with United Bridge Partners is expected to be signed Thursday. The group will pay the city two-million when the agreement is signed and another three-million at conveyance.
Newsham said the tax base for the city has been declining. And, she estimated, 40% of the city are lower-income.
“We’re not a rich community. We’re trying to maintain what we have,” she said. “Some of our comments were that people aren’t going to want to work or come or play here anymore because there’s a fee to cross the bridges. We don’t believe that."
Work on the bridges is expected to begin next year. One span will see improvements. The other will be rebuilt. That work will be done and tolls will begin in 2024. Bay City residents won’t have to pay tolls until 2028.
Newsham said low income residents will cross the bridge for free.
City residents will pay fifty cents per crossing while out of city residents will pay two dollars. There will also be the option of 15 dollar monthly passes for frequent users of the bridges.