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Letter — Irene Cahill, Ingham County Commissioner, on House Bill 5031 (February 6, 2026)

Summary

This is a letter dated February 6, 2026, to members of the Michigan House Economic Competitiveness Committee, on the letterhead of Ingham County Commissioner Irene Cahill, District #12. The letter states strong support for House Bill 5031 and describes it as critical to the continued success and long-term sustainability of Michigan's SmartZone program. It says the bill's provision allowing existing SmartZones to extend their tax increment financing authority for an additional 15 years lets communities operate with stability and long-term planning certainty. The letter also says the bill maintains clear definitions and accountability measures.

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Cite this document

“Letter — Irene Cahill, Ingham County Commissioner, on House Bill 5031 (February 6, 2026).” Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/2026-02-19-testimony-hb-5031-irene-cahill-ingham-county-commissioner-6-226953f689/, SHA-256 913a043047387405753923cac785a8f647afad22af24fa8de29ed81f708d002b.

Full text

                                                                                       657 Virginia Avenue
   INGHAM COUNTY COMMISSIONER                                                      East Lansing, MI 48823
                                                                                    Phone: (517) 488-1486
  IRENE CAHILL, DISTRICT #12                                                     Email: icahill@ingham.org




February 6, 2026


Members of the Michigan House Economic Competitiveness Committee
Anderson House Office Building
124 North Capitol Avenue
Lansing, MI 48933

Dear Members of the Committee,

I am writing to express my strong support for House Bill 5031, legislation that is critical
to the continued success and long-term sustainability of Michigan’s SmartZone program
and the regional innovation ecosystems it supports.

In Ingham County, tax increment capture provides a locally based, accountable way to
reinvest resources into programs, partnerships, and infrastructure that support
entrepreneurs, researchers, and high technology businesses, while strengthening
workforce pathways and expanding access to opportunity for people across our entire
region.

Most importantly, this work supports people across Ingham County from students and
first time entrepreneurs to small business owners, skilled workers, and families who
benefit from a stronger local economy, greater access to opportunity, and the creation of
high quality jobs close to home.

House Bill 5031’s provision allowing existing SmartZones to extend their tax increment
financing authority for an additional 15 years ensures that communities like ours can
continue to operate with stability and long-term planning certainty. This framework
enables responsible reinvestment, strong public and private partnerships, and sustained
support for companies and talent at critical stages of development.

The benefits of the SmartZone program extend well beyond municipal boundaries.
Ingham County’s regional economy is deeply interconnected with neighboring
communities, institutions, and employers. Continued investment through the SmartZone
strengthens our ability to compete for talent, research commercialization opportunities,
and business attraction at both the state and national levels, reinforcing Michigan’s
overall economic competitiveness.

I appreciate that House Bill 5031 maintains clear definitions, accountability measures,
and a strong public purpose framework to ensure that tax increment financing is used
responsibly and transparently to deliver meaningful public benefit.
For these reasons, I respectfully urge your favorable consideration and support of House
Bill 5031. Its passage will help ensure that our region, and the state as a whole, can
continue building a strong, resilient, and innovation led economy for years to come.

Sincerely,



Irene Cahill
Ingham County Commissioner
Commissioner District 12




Sincerely,


Irene Cahill,
Ingham County Commissioner
District 12

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