Rep. Angerer  offered the following resolution:

            House Resolution No. 186.

            A resolution to express the intent of the Michigan House of Representatives to provide funding for a Secretary of State branch office in Milan, Michigan.

            Whereas, The job of this legislative body is to make sure that Michigan's government protects the people who elect us and serves them in the best possible manner; and

            Whereas, The Secretary of State promotes innovations and policies to improve its efficiency and service, which include many direct services to our citizens. A review of a proposal to consolidate the branch office services offered at Milan, Michigan, with those offered at Ann Arbor, however, indicates that this move would be contrary to the efficiencies and effectiveness the department seeks to attain. The Milan branch office outperforms the Ann Arbor office by any metric used to measure performance; and

            Whereas, Data compiled by the Secretary of State argues convincingly for keeping open the branch office in Milan. From 1996 to 2006, the Milan office experienced a 20 percent increase in transactions, while the Ann Arbor location proposed as the locale of the consolidated branch experienced a 1.5 percent decline in the number of transactions. Each transaction conducted in Milan brings in an average of $125.52, while each Ann Arbor transaction only brings in $105.82; and

            Whereas, In examining the revenue generated in Milan compared to the cost of operating the office, the return on investment is $32.28 in Milan compared to only $22.18 in Ann Arbor. Analyzing the efficiency of each office based on the cost per transaction indicates that Milan's operational cost is only $3.88 whereas Ann Arbor's is $4.77; and

            Whereas, The Secretary of State has also supplied data that shows if this consolidation plan takes effect, the remaining three branch office locations in Washtenaw County will immediately have to serve 14 percent more people than the statewide average for branch offices; and

            Whereas, According to population figures from the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments for the period 2000 to 2006, Ann Arbor lost 1.3 percent of its population while Milan gained 18.9 percent; and

            Whereas, Milan straddles the county line between Washtenaw and Monroe Counties and is also conveniently located to residents of Lenawee County.   In this sense, the Milan branch is already serving as a "regional office" with reach far beyond its municipal boundaries; and

            Whereas, In addition to the strong statistical and geographic arguments for maintaining the Milan site, there are equally convincing reports that public sentiment is consistent with the data.  Individual citizens, business leaders, and elected officials alike have shared stories about the superlative service they receive in Milan. Many of these stories revolve around the service in Milan being so much faster and friendlier than elsewhere. Clearly, the Secretary of State branch office in Milan is serving the taxpayers of Michigan well, efficiently, and effectively. To disrupt this level of service would be unwise and counterproductive; now, therefore, be it

            Resolved by the House of Representatives, That it is the intent of the Michigan House of Representatives to provide funding for a Secretary of State branch office in Milan, Michigan, for the 2008 Fiscal Year and beyond; and be it further

            Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Secretary of State, the Milan City Council, and the Milan Chamber of Commerce.