LANSING, Mich. (WWJ) -- The state of Michigan is one step closer to granting municipalities the right to tax residents when spraying for mosquitoes.
A set of bills passed out of the State House's Local Government and Municipal Finance Committee Wednesday that would allow townships to establish a special assessment for mosquito abatement.
The proposal comes after last year's outbreak of the deadly mosquito-borne virus Eastern Equine Encephalitis, which killed six people across the state.
Brian Ellison, with the Michigan Libertarian Party, spoke out against the bills Wednesday.
"The Libertarian Party of Michigan rises today in opposition of these bills, which frankly strike us as a blatant tax grab. Empowering local governments to impose new taxes over and above the currently burdensome rates already levied on many localities is a form of theft," Ellison said. "This bill also provides very little definition to what processes and procedures would qualify as mosquito abatement, leaving it open for our local municipalities, some of which -- like my own home of Royal Oak -- have a history of misappropriation going back over two decades."
Several Michigan counties sprayed insecticides from airplanes to combat the virus last fall, but some counties -- like Kalamazoo -- opted out of the spraying.
The outbreak was primarily contained to West Michigan.