Businesses disappointed, but not surprised by Gov. Whitmer's business property tax relief veto

(The Center Square) – A year into the COVID-19 pandemic, the small business community said it was disappointed but not surprised when Gov. Gretchen Whitmer vetoed more than $650 million from the GOP’s COVID-19 relief plan, including $405 million to give tax relief to small businesses shuttered by her orders.

Whitmer vetoed four line-items: $405 million in business relief; $150 million deposited into the unemployment fund; $87 million for private schools; and $10 million for parents whose kids enroll in summer school, according to the Associated Press.

The fate of $840 million in federal school funding attached to a bill Whitmer vetoed is also uncertain.

The veto follows one of the worst years in decades for the hospitality industry as Whitmer’s shutdowns closed indoor dining for more than 75 days in the last year, limited capacity to 25%, and still stuck them with a property tax bill leading to more than 3,000 restaurants permanently closing in 2020.