Cherry’s advocacy generated funding to improve health, education, recreation, and public safety for residents
LANSING, Mich. (June 30, 2023) — This week, the Michigan Legislature passed a strong, bipartisan 2024 state budget that focuses on addressing the needs of residents. Sen. John Cherry (D-Flint) successfully obtained several priority funding items that will result in direct benefits to Genesee County.
“This budget funds the things our communities want, and our residents need to continue improving their lives, creating new opportunities for folks in Genesee County and for every resident in Michigan,” said Sen. Cherry. “By advocating for resident priorities, I was able to continue my commitment to education, equity, health, safety, outdoor recreation, our environment, and ensuring our children and workers have what they need to thrive. These investments will have a transformational impact on Flint and Genesee County.”
Flint & Genesee County’s 2024 Budget Items will:
- Enable the Michigan School for the Deaf (MSD), located in Flint, to build a new student dormitory;
- Build a new high school for the Beecher Community School District, which currently houses middle and high schools in the same building;
- Promote entrepreneurship through initiatives such as 100K Ideas and Foodie Commons, Flint’s first dedicated food truck park, with a focus on empowering women and minority-owned food businesses;
- Increase support for Rides to Wellness, a nonemergency medical transport service benefiting Genesee County residents;
- Invest in early childhood and youth education with support to Educare Flint and Flint YMCA;
- Establish long-term funding for the maintenance of Flint State Park through the Community Foundation Endowment;
- Create a Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) Hub through the Greater Flint Health Coalition;
- Expand mental health services at the Boys & Girls Club of Flint;
- Provide healthcare workforce training through GST Michigan Works, and;
- Combat crime and ensure public safety by replacing police cruisers for the City of Flint and increasing capacity in the Genesee County Prosecutors’ office.
Sen. Cherry also secured funding for a first-in-the-nation child poverty alleviation pilot program through Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. The program, known as Rx Kids and championed by Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, aims to proactively improve health outcomes by providing stipends to all pregnant moms and infants in Flint.
“I strongly believe in investing in our future, and that starts with our kids,” Cherry said. “We must invest in our children from the very beginning of their lives. Unfortunately, one in every two kids in Flint is born into poverty. By offering monthly allowances for infants, we can alleviate financial burdens on families, promote early childhood development, and ensure better access to quality healthcare and education.”
Another significant budget item is dedicated to Latinx Flint, enabling the creation of a bilingual Early Childhood Education Center (ECEC). Sen. Cherry played a crucial role in securing this funding, which will support the renovation of an 8,000-square-foot building at the corner of Lewis St. and Bennett Ave. The remodeled facility will accommodate the ECEC and other youth educational services, significantly increasing classroom capacity and enrollment opportunities for young learners and families in east Flint. Currently, the region suffers from a shortage of ECEC facilities, with only 11 available enrollment spaces.
Lastly, the state budget includes funding that prioritizes Genesee County’s water resources.
“Water is essential to our state and its people, for enjoyment and health, and this budget funding will better protect our water and make it more accessible for all to use,” Cherry said. “Genesee County will see restoration of wetlands in urban areas through partnerships with Ducks Unlimited, preservation and enhancement of state water trails, including the Flint and Shiawassee River Water Trails, and significant upgrades to a wastewater treatment plant.”
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