LANSING, MI (WTVB) – The Michigan Senate has approved legislation sponsored by Sen. Jonathan Lindsey (R-Coldwater) to allow county-level grants for the re-survey and monumentation of the Michigan-Indiana border.
The original survey was conducted in the 1800s, and over time, many of the markers have been lost, leading to legal issues, property disputes, and unclear jurisdictions. In 2022, Michigan passed a law to fund the effort, but unexpected delays in securing a surveying company for the entire project created a hurdle.
Lindsey’s bill, Senate Bill 595, aims to resolve this issue by amending the 2022 law, extending the timeline for completion, and decentralizing the project to the county level.
The legislation will allow counties bordering Indiana to use grant funding to individually survey and mark the state line, bypassing previous issues with large-scale procurement. Lindsey says “Counties are capable and ready to take this on, and we have the funding available that would allow them to do so.”
The move is designed to prevent decades of work from being lost and to push the long-overdue project across the finish line. By empowering local governments, Lindsey says the bill seeks to clarify the state’s long-standing border ambiguity and prevent future disputes caused by the current unclear boundaries.
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