House Appropriations Chair Rep. Ann Bollin, R-Brighton Township, released the following statement in response to news reports that an out-of-state developer spent $1.6 million of a $5 million taxpayer-funded grant to pay off back taxes on a vacant Oakland County hotel:

“What happened with the Southfield hotel is a glaring example of why we must be extremely cautious and transparent when allocating taxpayer dollars. This was a $5 million grant Democrats added to the budget at the eleventh hour without proper vetting or accountability — and now we’re learning through a news report that $1.6 million of it was used to pay off back taxes. That’s unacceptable.

“After I became Appropriations chair, we implemented new guardrails set forth in a resolution I sponsored to prevent these types of situations moving forward. Any project seeking direct grant funding through the state budget process must now be submitted well in advance and include thorough documentation demonstrating clear and substantial public benefit. Additionally, for-profit businesses are no longer eligible for these types of no-bid earmarks under the new process.

“The people of Michigan deserve transparency, accountability, and confidence that their hard-earned tax dollars are being used responsibly — not handed out with little scrutiny to developers with questionable track records. We can and must do better. That starts with restoring trust in how state funds are allocated.”