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Gov. Rick Snyder is trying to do the right thing. Whether it will get him back in the good graces of Flint residents is another story.
Nonetheless, Snyder plans to propose using $30 million in state funding to help pay the water bills of Flint residents, David Eggert of the Associated Press reports:
Snyder will brief Flint officials and pastors about the plan Wednesday and outline it to lawmakers next week as part of his 2016-2017 budget proposal, according to a statement the governor’s office provided to The Associated Press.
The aid would cover the estimated portion of residential customers’ utility bills for water that has been or will be used for drinking, cooking, bathing and washing hands. Customers would still be responsible for paying for water used to flush toilets, water lawns, wash clothes and other purposes.
“Flint residents will not have to pay for water they cannot drink,” the Republican governor said in a statement to the AP late Tuesday. “My budget recommendation will include the request that the state make payments to the city’s water system for residential bills going back to April 2014 and alleviate the need for residential water shutoffs.”
