DETROIT LIGHTING AUTHORITY MEASURE APPROVED
The estimated 44,000 inoperable street lights in the City of Detroit and the estimated $150-160 million it would cost to repair them all have long been a resounding metaphor to the troubles of Michigan’s largest city. The House of Representatives took a significant step Thursday in paving the way for Detroit and other municipalities to address lighting issues.
House Bill 5688, sponsored by Representative Maureen Stapleton (D-Detroit), provides cities with the authority to create lighting authorities to operate and provide financing for lighting systems. Each board, which will also have the authority to float bonds, must consist of five residents of the community including an accountant, and engineer and a lawyer.
Most interesting was not the substance of the legislation, nor the 79-27 final vote tally, but the process and the fact that the measure was only finally passed on the third attempt after having the voting board cleared twice. The issue at play, which ultimately caused Democratic “no” votes and Republicans not to vote at all on the first two tries, was the measure’s treatment of labor unions.
An amendment to the legislation stated that authorities would not be required to hire union workers; however, if union workers were to be hired then existing contracts would remain in effect.
The bill would provide the new authority to the City of Detroit and forty other cities.