Michigan lawmakers concerned over proposed state watchdog budget cuts
LANSING, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - If what the state government is calling a placeholder in the budget for the Michigan Auditor General isn't changed, that department could see a nearly 30% decrease in funding in the next fiscal year.
Last week, Michigan's Auditor General sent a letter to the legislature noting funding for 23 interdepartmental grants and 13 appropriations were removed and "replaced with a $100 placeholder."
If those placeholders are not changed, they would reflect a nearly 30% decrease in funding for the watchdog department that uncovered major unemployment overpayments and noted several other financial issues within state departments in recent years.
"I think it's sending a message. Don't correct my homework, because if you do, we'll cut your budget by 28%," said state Rep. Donni Steele. "The week after transparency week for government transparency and government seems counterintuitive to me."
The State Budget Office says that those $100 line items are placeholders for the time being that can change based on need as the legislature and the Governor's Office continue to work on the budget for the next fiscal year. But those placeholders, Steele said, also feel like a message.
"I think it's another message that this is what might happen," Steele said. "So it's kind of like a detention note. A pink slip. So we're getting apparently that department's getting a pink slip because they're actually doing their job with their employees and auditing the books."
Steele said she is hopeful those line items will change to better fund the department.
CBS News Detroit reached out to the Democratic leadership in the House for comment, but no one was made available.
