Snyder to local govts: Stay positive

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - Stay positive.

That was the message Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder delivered Thursday to hundreds of local government officials at the Michigan Municipal League gathering in Grand Rapids.

These are some of the same folks who were very anxious when the governor took office in January and told them they would have to do a better job of earning what little money the state was handing out.

Many in the audience have had to deal with cutting millions of dollars from their budgets -- much of it revenue that used to come from the state.

The city of Wyoming alone has lost more than $20 million in state shared revenues in the last five years.

The cuts may not be over.

Talk of ending the locally collected personal property tax -- the tax levied on manufacturing and other business equipment -- could cost Wyoming another $3 million.

Still, Wyoming City Manager Curtis Holt says the governor's message -- that getting together and solving problems instead of placing blame is the way to go -- is one that needs to be heard.

"I think it was a good message. I think he's dead on and we do need more positive action in this state, and people looking at the good things that are going on because I think there's a lot of good things in my city, in Grand Rapids and across the state," said Holt.

Holt told 24 Hour News 8 that Wyoming has cut the number of city employees by 30 %. He says the biggest challenge involves providing public safety services -- police and fire -- with fewer people.

The city is looking at consolidating fire services with Grand Rapids and Kentwood, or combining the city's current police and fire departments into a public safety department.