State Rep. Kathy Schmaltz today announced the state budget includes targeted investments to strengthen local communities, improve health, and expand recreation and connectivity throughout Washtenaw County.

The budget includes funding for the following projects Schmaltz submitted for consideration:

• $1 million for Washtenaw County and the Huron Waterloo Pathways Initiative to further develop the Border-to-Border (B2B) Trail, a paved, ADA-accessible, non-motorized pathway that connects communities across the county and into surrounding areas. This funding will focus on completing some of the most expensive trail segments between Dexter and Ann Arbor along the Huron River — critical links in a project that will soon connect into Wayne, Jackson, Ingham and Livingston counties.

• $500,000 for Trinity Health’s Food is Medicine Program, which provides healthy, locally grown food and nutrition education to address food insecurity and improve community health. Trinity Health’s “The Farm” initiative, which includes a site in Ypsilanti, grows and distributes produce through clinics, on-campus food pantries, farm stands, and an affordable subscription-based Farm Share program. The funding will support the development of a Food is Medicine Education Center, expanding opportunities for hands-on learning, summer camps, and classroom visits. The center is expected to serve an additional 1,500 students each year, increase class participation by 40%, and triple the number of educational offerings.

“These are meaningful, people-focused investments that will have a lasting impact,” Schmaltz said. “The B2B Trail is a major quality-of-life project connecting neighborhoods, schools, parks, and downtowns across Washtenaw County and beyond. And Trinity Health’s Food is Medicine program is a perfect example of how local partnerships can promote healthier lives and stronger communities.”