Southeastern Michigan officials didn't shy away from taking aim at each other over the largely debated 2018 regional transit proposal -- a hot topic at the Mackinac Policy Conference.

Oakland County Commissioner Dave Woodward doesn't think his colleague, Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson, "gets it" or "speaks for Oakland County anymore."

Patterson has not held back from expressing his disapproval of the regional transit proposal, saying it's "nothing more than the plan voters rejected" in 2016. The new plan was proposed by Warren C. Evans, Wayne County Executive.

"You've got a guy who's got a personal driver that he has to have to get around. He can't drive," Woodward said. "He's going out of his way to deny transit for everyone in this region. I mean it's downright insulting."

"Most of the people in Oakland County believe we have a problem. It's universally accepted that we need to improve transit. ... there's not just one path to doing this but this is a viable plan brought forward that deserves to be vetted."

Oakland, Macomb, Wayne and Washtenaw Counties each have two representatives who will vote this summer whether to put the proposal on the November general election ballot. At least one "yes" vote is required from each county.

The new four-county regional transit plan would create five cross-region bus service routes along major corridors, and 15 new express routes, and is seeking a 1.5-mill tax to raise $5.4 billion over 20 years.

Woodward and Oakland County Treasurer Andy Meisner have both expressed the need for the transit proposal due to the emphasis on hometown services for seniors.

"The new plan provides the resources to increase frequency on major routes ... it allows the flexibility, especially in areas that don't have a fixed route," Woodward said, noting Waterford's curb-to-curb senior service is at risk of shutting down.

He said the plan would provide more services to local communities for senior citizens. "The number of seniors, 65 and up, are going to grow exponentially over the next 10 to 15 years, to the point that we're going to have a higher percentage of people over the age of 65 than the state of Florida," he said.

Oakland County currently uses the FAST-SMART bus service that operates on Woodward, Gratiot and Michigan avenues, in certain areas of the county. Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel emphasized the county will continue to support regional transit through SMART.

"People in Macomb County have always been supportive of SMART ... they realize we got a great transportation system," Hackel said.

"Just because Detroit, Wayne County, and maybe even Oakland County to that extent, doesn't have the full opt-in communities and is fully supported by SMART, they have a problem with their transit system."

Hackel used the city of Fraser as an example of a community that had funding issues with senior services and was able to use SMART to provide those type of transportation services.

As Detroit failed to make the cut for e-commerce giant Amazon's second headquarters, several reports surfaced that mass transit was the issue. But Hackel said otherwise.

"It is not the top reason but for somebody to put it out there ... somebody show me the facts. Amazon questioned talent," Hackel said.

The Shelby Township Amazon distribution center, which will bring 1,200 jobs, noted otherwise, according to Hackel.

"They didn't say, 'oh wait a minute, we're worried about your regional transit.' They said 'we're coming,' then they turned to us and said 'now we've got this issue where we may need some people that might need some rides to Amazon facility out here.' "Got a hold of SMART ... now they've got three pick-up (and) drop-off locations."

Aside from attracting talent to Michigan and fixing the county's roads, Hackel said other counties need to fix their transit concerns, such as engaging opt-out communities to join SMART or solve funding matters, noting Macomb County does not have any transit issues.

"To say to Macomb County you have 1 mill...providing all of your services necessary but we're going to enhance that (with) a 1.5 mill, now we're paying 2.5 mills for something that doesn't really need it," Hackel said. "Macomb County has been the first county that has supported transit fully and wholeheartedly ... with the SMART system. Everyone else has fragmented the system ... Detroit, by creating their own and the opt-outs in Wayne County as well as Oakland."

But Khalil Rahal, assistant Wayne County executive, said that's not the case.

"It's not 2.5 (mills). All of Macomb County is paying 1 mill right now for SMART. SMART is on the ballot in August. What we're recommending is we want to put a 1.5 mill in November," Rahal said. "Under that 1 mill, we spend about $67 a person on transit. If ... the RTA 1.5 were to pass, that $67 number would go up to $110."

"When anybody says we can always turn to our existing provider ... what the county executive said earlier is it's just a renewal. It's not any more money for a different way of operating."

Though Evans is hopeful the measure will come to fruition, he is not closing off the idea of a Wayne to Washtenaw plan.

"I don't want to get out in front of that at this point. I get Mark's point, we agree to disagree a lot. The main question I have is, why do you want to hold it off? I get you being against it. There's no argument about SMART," Evans said.

"You want a SMART renewal. I want a SMART renewal. You don't get anything new with the renewal and we certainly don't want to go backwards. I could see growth in SMART through the transit plan. But I don't know why there's a reluctance to let the voters in the region decide a regional policy. Why do you kill it before a vote?"

Evans recently put the bus system to the test by taking a trip from Detroit to Novi, noting it took about three hours with added walking along the side of the road or medians without sidewalks.

"Walking two miles in the summer is a whole lot different than walking two miles in two feet of snow," Evans said. "The idea of getting people jobs should not be about putting so many challenges in front of them."