Drivers crossing two bridges in Bay City, Michigan may not realize it, but a quiet dispute between city officials and a private toll company has been building for months — and it just took a major step forward. The Bay City Commission voted 6-2 Monday to back a letter from Mayor Christopher Girard asking Michigan’s top law enforcement official to take a closer look at how those tolls are being handled.
Girard wrote to Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel requesting a formal investigation into Bay City Bridge Partners, the company that manages toll collection on the Liberty and Independence Bridges. The Bridge Partners are a subsidiary of United Bridge Partners.
At the heart of the mayor’s complaint is how the company has communicated with drivers about unpaid tolls. Girard alleges that some notices sent to motorists “threaten or overstate the company’s ability to prevent motorists from registering or renewing the registration of their vehicles if tolls and associated fees are not paid.” He characterized these communications as “a pressure tactic” to collect payments — a practice he wants the attorney general to scrutinize…