LANSING, Mich. — Sen. Michael Webber on Friday voted to support the Senate’s passage of the state’s 2026 fiscal year budget.
“Like families all over Michigan, state government must live within its means to be successful. I’m happy to support a budget that rolls back spending for the first time in years, helps workers by eliminating taxes on tips, overtime and Social Security, and makes needed investments in our roads by finally putting every penny paid in taxes at the pump back into fixing this vital infrastructure,” said Webber, R-Rochester Hills.
“At the same time, we were able to empower schools with record funding and restore dangerous cuts that were previously made to school safety and mental health support for public and private schools.”
Webber, who co-chairs the bipartisan legislative Michigan Aerospace and Defense Caucus, also highlighted funding in the fiscal year 2026 budget that would support the state’s defense industry in addition to local investments for communities throughout the 9th Senate District, including:
- $26 million for Selfridge Air National Guard Base to make infrastructure improvements that will position Michigan to compete for next-generation aircraft and future fighter missions.
- $5 million for the Michigan Defense Center, recently renamed the Office of Defense and Aerospace Innovation, to support the state’s defense and homeland security industry by helping businesses identify federal defense contract opportunities, providing technical assistance for bidding on federal defense contracts and strengthening cybersecurity compliance at Michigan businesses.
- $2.1 million for the city of Sterling Heights to upgrade its fire department’s 22-year-old Sutphen ladder truck. This will help to enhance public safety and reduce insurance costs for residents and businesses by maintaining Insurance Services Office standards and a high Public Protection Classification rating.
- $2 million for the city of Rochester Hills to improve roadway infrastructure and provide access to Nowicki Park and indoor space for community gatherings. The city has set aside $8.5 million for the project along the busy Adams Road corridor.
- $421,000 for the Troy School District to help construct a new driveway and traffic signal at Smith Middle School, giving direct access to the campus from Livernois Road, just south of Square Lake Road.
- $500,000 for the Oakland Community Health Network to support phase two renovations at its Troy facility. The project will provide accommodation for behavioral health treatment staff and services and help improve direct care coordination for the community — enabling more on-site treatment opportunities for patients.
- $250,000 for public safety equipment upgrades for the Utica Police Department, including active shooter response gear and less-lethal stun devices.
- $175,000 to continue the Common Ground Victim Assistance Program, which provides crisis intervention and long-term support to victims of crime in Oakland County. The program has filled critical gaps in public safety and health, especially following mass violence incidents like the Oxford High School and Rochester Hills shootings.
The 9th Senate District includes the Greater Rochester Area, along with the cities of Troy, Sterling Heights and Utica, and portions of Oakland and Shelby townships.