Dear Neighbor,
Recently, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed our state budget for the 2025 fiscal year! This budget is more than just numbers on a page; it’s a representation of our commitment to building up Michiganders and the communities we call home.
Throughout the appropriations process, I make it a priority to meet with a wide range of folks — constituents, local leaders, community organizations, veterans, small business owners, educators and first responders — to gain insight on their needs and how we can best address them. Crafted with these voices at its heart, this budget presents real solutions to the challenges facing our state, while also setting us up for long-term growth.
In this newsletter, I want to take a minute to highlight some of the investments the budget makes here in our lakeshore community and across our state. Continue reading to learn more!
As always, I’d love to hear from you about the topics you’re interested in. Please feel free to reach out to my office to share your perspective or seek assistance with any challenges you may be facing with state departments — we are here to serve you. You can reach my office by calling (517) 373-7315 or emailing SenKHertel@senate.michigan.gov.
Sincerely,
Kevin Hertel
State Senator
District 12
Included in This Newsletter
- Investments to Build Up Our Lakeshore Community
- Investments to Build Up Michigan
- Protecting and Celebrating Lake St. Clair Beyond Lake Appreciation Month
- Upcoming Events
- Contact Us
Investments to Build Up Our Lakeshore Community
In the 2025 State Budget, our team secured over $30 million for transformational projects here in District 12. From safeguarding the future of Selfridge to making investments in clean water infrastructure and affordable housing, we’re working to create opportunities for prosperity in our community.
If you read our last newsletter, you know that one of the biggest investments we secured was $15 million for Selfridge Air National Guard Base to expand and reroute their runway. These funds will enhance the base’s operational capacity, setting it up to attract a next-generation aircraft mission. With Selfridge’s current A-10 Warthogs set to be divested in the near future, this project is crucial to ensuring the base can continue to serve not only as a national security hub and economic engine, but also as a source of community pride for years to come.
Also included in the budget are a host of projects throughout our district that will propel economic growth, build up our local infrastructure, and more:
Community Revitalization and Economic Development
- $5 million for a housing development project in Mount Clemens to revitalize the old Victory Inn and provide new housing opportunities for young people looking to make their home in Macomb.
- $2 million for a riverfront revitalization project in Mount Clemens that will create vibrant, attractive spaces and help boost economic development and invite new residents to the city.
- $1 million for the city of Algonac to renovate the Lions Field community swimming pool.
- $500,000 for Algonac Community Schools to renovate the old Algonac Elementary School building, turning the space into a recreation center where community members can gather.
Infrastructure
- $2 million to repair the breakwalls at Walter and Mary Burke Park in New Baltimore, helping protect the shoreline, prevent flooding, and deter shore erosion.
- $1.5 million for Mount Clemens to make much-needed updates to their aging sewage treatment infrastructure.
- $1 million to repair seawalls in Grosse Pointe Shores to deter shore erosion, which can eat away at the land and cause extreme damage to roads, homes, and other buildings.
- $980,000 to improve the safety of Vernier Road in Grosse Pointe Woods.
School Improvements
- $2 million for Harper Woods School District to construct a Daily Life Skills Training Center that would provide students with individualized skill development training and prepare them to lead independent lives.
- $500,000 for Algonac Community Schools to renovate the old Algonac Elementary School building, turning the space into a recreation center where community members can gather.
Investments to Build Up Michigan
In addition to the many projects in our lakeshore district we secured funding for, there’s also a host of statewide investments included in the budget that will strengthen our community and communities across Michigan.
Michigan Schools
- $598 million to increase funding by approximately $400 per student statewide.
- $200 million to continue our universal free school meals program to ensure no student is learning on an empty stomach.
- $98 million to provide more funding and resources for the students and schools that need it most — small and isolated districts, at-risk students, career and technical education, and more.
- $85 million ongoing investment to the Great Start Readiness Program to expand free preschool for four-year-olds, increasing the eligibility threshold to 400% of the federal poverty level — under $120,000 annually for a family of four.
Affordable Housing
- $100 million to create new and refurbished housing, improving access and affordability.
- $12 million to help lower housing costs and reduce homelessness.
- $2.5 million in grants for nonprofits who provide or assist in providing housing for homeless veterans and their families.
Safe Communities
- $75 million for a Public Safety Trust Fund to help curb crime and keep communities safe.
- $10 million for the state’s Disaster and Emergency Contingency Fund to assist local communities with the costs of responding to disasters and emergencies.
- $5.4 million to allow the MSP to graduate 50 troopers from the recruit school.
- $500,000 to provide law enforcement personnel with training to better communicate with hard-of-hearing Michiganders and limited English-speaking communities.
Working Michiganders
- $330 million for the Michigan Achievement Scholarship to lower the cost of community, private, or public college by thousands of dollars a year, including expanding access to free community college for students with the Community College Guarantee.
- $52 million in continued support for Michigan Reconnect, enabling workers to go back to school to pursue a degree or a skilled trade certification.
Read more about the statewide impact of the budget here.
Protecting and Celebrating Lake St. Clair Beyond Lake Appreciation Month
Here in Michigan, we take pride in being known as the Great Lakes State. Our five Great Lakes are the source of 20% of Earth’s total fresh water. In addition to these, Michigan is also home to more than 11,000 inland lakes (You can find one near you using this interactive map). And here in our lakeshore community, we have access to one of the best natural resources our state has to offer — Lake St. Clair.
Our lakes and various waterways are integral to the health of our families and our economy. The Great Lakes system is invaluable as the source of drinking water for more than 40 million people in the U.S. and Canada, and the Great Lakes shipping industry generates more than $36 billion in economic activity and supports more than 664,000 jobs. Our lakes also provide families with unmatched recreational opportunities.
That’s why, throughout my time in the State Legislature, I have been focused on working with anyone and everyone — Democrats and Republicans, local leaders, and community members — to secure funding for critical water infrastructure projects. Recently, Macomb County Public Works Commissioner Candice Miller and St. Clair Shores Mayor Kip Walby joined me for a community conversation where we discussed our efforts to secure the resources necessary to preserve the health of Lake St. Clair.
Over the past eight years, our bipartisan approach has brought over $95 million dollars back to our community to improve our crumbling water infrastructure. One of the most impactful appropriations we secured was $72 million in 2022 for the Chapaton Retention Basin at Nine Mile which will allow the county to construct additional system storage that we can utilize during heavy rains. Once complete, this project will help us reduce combined sewer overflows into Lake St. Clair by 40%.
Some other highlights include:
- $5 million for the Saint Clair Shores Martin Drain District to address combined sewer overflows and prevent millions of gallons of wastewater from flowing into Lake St. Clair.
- $5 million for the Chesterfield Interceptor to proactively address aging infrastructure in order to avoid catastrophes like sinkholes.
- $2 million for Harsens Island to build a new wastewater treatment plant that will be transformational for the area, helping to protect waterways, improve residents’ quality of life and allow small businesses in the Sans Souci community to thrive.
While National Lakes Appreciation Month has concluded, I remain committed to building on this work and advancing legislation to protect our state’s unmatched lakes, so future generations of Michiganders can enjoy them for years to come.
Upcoming Events
It is one of my top goals as your State Senator to have myself and my office be as accessible to you as possible. To share your thoughts on legislation or seek assistance with an issue, please join me at one of our upcoming district events:
Coffee and Conversation
WHEN: Monday, August 19 from 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
WHERE: St. Clair Shores Senior Center, 20100 Stephens Street, St. Clair Shores, MI 48080
District Office Hours with Staff
WHEN: Every Thursday from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and by appointment.
WHERE: District Office, 28800 Harper, Saint Clair Shores, MI 48081
Contact Us
If You Need Help: If you have a problem dealing with any department of state government, such as accessing unemployment benefits, my office is available to help resolve it. While we usually cannot assist with local or federal issues, we will always do our best to help direct you to the appropriate person or organization for help.
You may always feel free to call my office at (517) 373-7315 or email me at SenKHertel@senate.michigan.gov.
Keep Up to Date: Our bi-weekly newsletters are full of updates on what Team Hertel has been working on both in Lansing and District 12 to deliver results for Michiganders. To keep up to date with what we’ve been up to — sign up here to receive my bi-weekly newsletter, or access previous editions online here.
For more frequent updates, I also encourage you to follow our team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram