The Spring 2019 Michigan Public Policy Survey

• Topics:
• Annual tracking items for fiscal, budget, operation policies; preparation for the next recession; problems with opioids; local government energy issues; preparation for the 2020 census; job approval evaluations for Governor, Michigan Legislature, President, and U.S. Congress; right direction vs. wrong track for state, and country
• Methodology:
• This survey ran from April 8 to June 10, 2019 and received responses from 73% of jurisdictions.
• Survey questionnaire
• Pre-run data tables
• Publications:
• New Governor, new evaluations of the direction Michigan is headed among local leaders
• Michigan local government preparations and concerns regarding the 2020 U.S. Census
• Michigan local officials’ views on the next recession: timing, concerns, and actions taken
• Mixed signals continue for Michigan local governments’ fiscal health, while future outlooks worsen
• County-wide fiscal health fact sheets
• Energy policies and environmental leadership among Michigan’s local governments
• Presentations:
• 2019 November – Michigan Association of Counties Podcast 83 – Episode 17: Survey results on local governments’ preparations for a recession (audio only)
• 2020 February – Michigan University-wide Sustainability & Environment (MUSE) Conference 2020 – Energy policies and environmental leadership among Michigan’s local governments: Data from the Michigan Public Policy Survey
• 2020 February – University of Michigan Wolverine Caucus, Lansing, MI – Taking the Pulse of Local Government Leaders on Fiscal Health: Slow Recovery from the Great Recession Poses Concerns About the Future




Input on questionnaire design for the Spring 2019 MPPS was provided by the following people:

• John Barnes, Northern MI Opioid Response Consortium
• Brad Barnett, Western Upper Peninsula Planning & Development Region (WUPPDR)
• Ren Farley, Population Studies Center, University of Michigan
• Luke Forrest, Michigan Municipal League
• Eric Guthrie, State Demographer, Department of Technology, Management, and Budget
• Robert Jackson, Michigan Energy Office
• Paula Lantz, Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy
• Brittany Leek, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
• Eric Lupher, Citizens Research Council of Michigan
• Derek Melot, Michigan Assocation of Counties
• Larry Merrill, Michigan Townships Association
• Lisa Neidert, Department of Sociology, University of Michigan
• Terri Novak, Michigan Energy Office
• Ally Waters, Michigan Opioid Prescribing Engagement Network (Michigan-OPEN)
• Jared Welehodsky, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services

The final questionnaire design reflects decisions made by the CLOSUP MPPS staff, which may not represent the views of advisory committee members or others who provided input.

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Data Tables Tracking Items Across Surveys Spring 2019 MPPS Data More data tables Spring 2018 MPPS Data Fall 2017 MPPS Data Spring 2017 MPPS Data Fall 2016 MPPS Data Spring 2016 MPPS Data Fall 2015 MPPS Data Spring 2015 MPPS Data Fall 2014 MPPS Data Spring 2014 MPPS Data Fall 2013 MPPS Data Spring 2013 MPPS Data Fall 2012 MPPS Data Spring 2012 MPPS Data Fall 2011 MPPS Data Spring 2011 MPPS Data Fall 2010 MPPS Data Spring 2010 MPPS Data Fall 2009 MPPS Data Spring 2009 MPPS Data

• Public/student use datasets
• Restricted use datasets

Reports Energy policies and environmental leadership among Michigan’s local governments (January 2020) Mixed signals continue for Michigan local governments’ fiscal health, while future outlooks worsen (December 2019) More reports Michigan local officials’ views on the next recession: timing, concerns, and actions taken (October 2019) Michigan local government preparations and concerns regarding the 2020 U.S. Census (September 2019) New Governor, new evaluations of the direction Michigan is headed among local leaders (August 2019) Positive working relationships reported among Michigan’s local elected officials (June 2019) Community poverty and the struggle to make ends meet in Michigan, according to local government leaders (March 2019) The state of community civic discourse, according to Michigan’s local government leaders (December 2018) Despite sustained economic growth, Michigan local government fiscal health still lags (November 2018) Michigan local government leaders’ views on medical and recreational marijuana (September 2018) Rising confidence in Michigan’s direction among local leaders, but partisan differences remain (July 2018) Michigan local government officials weigh in on housing shortages and related issues (June 2018) Approaches to land use planning and zoning among Michigan's local governments (May 2018) Workforce issues and challenges for Michigan's local governments (January 2018) Local leaders’ views on elections in Michigan: accuracy, problems, and reform options (November 2017) Michigan local government officials report complex mix of improvement and decline in fiscal health, but with overall trend moving slowly upward (October 2017) Michigan local leaders want their citizens to play a larger role in policymaking, but report declining engagement (August 2017) Michigan local leaders' views on state preemption and how to share policy authority (June 2017) Improving communication, building trust are seen as keys to fixing relationships between local jurisdictions and the State government (May 2017) Local leaders more likely to support than oppose Michigan's Emergency Manager law, but strongly favor reforms (Feb. 2017) Local government leaders' views on drinking water and water supply infrastructure in Michigan communities (Nov. 2016) Michigan local leaders say property tax appeals are common, disagree with 'dark stores' assessing (Oct. 2016) Local officials say Michigan's system of funding local government is broken, and seek State action to fix it (Sept. 2016) Michigan local governments report first declines in fiscal health trend since 2010 (August 2016) Michigan local leaders' doubts continue regarding state's direction (July 2016) Emergency Medical Services in Michigan: challenges and approaches among local governments (July 2016) Firefighting services in Michigan: challenges and approaches among local governments (June 2016) Most local officials are satisfied with law enforcement services, but almost half from largest jurisdictions say their funding is insufficient (April 2016) Local leaders say police-community relations are good throughout Michigan, but those in large cities are concerned about potential civil unrest over police use-of-force (Feb. 2016) Responding to budget surplus vs. deficit: the preferences of Michigan's local leaders and citizens (Dec. 2015) Michigan's local leaders concerned about retiree health care costs and their governments's ability to meet future obligations (Oct. 2015) Fiscal health rated relatively good for most jurisdictions, but improvement slows and decline continues for many (Sept. 2015) Confidence in Michigan's direction declines among state's local leaders (August 2015) Michigan local government leaders’ views on private roads (July 2015) Few Michigan jurisdictions have adopted Complete Streets policies, though many see potential benefits (June 2015) Michigan local leaders have positive views on relationships with county road agencies, despite some concerns (May 2015) Michigan local government leaders say transit services are important, but lack of funding discourages their development (April 2015) Michigan local leaders see need for state and local ethics reform (March 2015) Local leaders say Michigan road funding needs major increase, but lack consensus on options that would raise the most revenue (Feb. 2015) Michigan local government leaders' views on employee pay and benefits (Jan. 2015) Despite increasingly formal financial management, relatively few Michigan local governments have adopted recommended policies (Dec. 2014) Most Michigan local officials are satisfied with their privatized services, but few seek to expand further (Nov. 2014) Michigan local governments finally pass fiscal health tipping point overall, but one in four still report decline (Oct. 2014) Beyond the coast, a tenuous relationship between Michigan local governments and the Great Lakes (Sept. 2014) Confidence in Michigan's direction holds steady among state's local leaders (Aug. 2014) Wind power as a community issue in Michigan (July 2014) Fracking as a community issue in Michigan (June 2014) The impact of tax-exempt properties on Michigan local governments (March 2014) Michigan's local leaders generally support Detroit bankruptcy filing despite some concerns (Feb. 2014) Michigan local governments increasingly pursue placemaking for economic development (Jan. 2014) Views on right-to-work legislation among Michigan's local government leaders (Dec. 2013) Michigan local governments continue seeking, and receiving, union concessions (Oct. 2013) Michigan local government fiscal health continues gradual improvement, but smallest jurisdictions lagging (Oct. 2013) Local leaders evaluate state policymaker performance and whether Michigan is on the right track (Aug. 2013) Trust in government among Michigan's local leaders and citizens (July 2013) Citizen engagement in the view of Michigan's local government leaders (May 2013) Beyond trust in government: government trust in citizens? (March 2013) Local leaders support reforming Michigan's system of funding local government (Jan. 2013) Local leaders support eliminating Michigan's Personal Property Tax if funds are replaced, but distrust state follow-through (Nov. 2012) Michigan's local leaders satisfied with union negotiations (Oct. 2012) Michigan's local leaders are divided over the state's emergency manager law (Sept. 2012) Fiscal stress continues for hundreds of Michigan jurisdictions, but conditions trend in positive direction overall (Sept. 2012) Michigan's local leaders more positive about Governor Snyder's performance, more optimistic about the state's direction (July 2012) Data-driven decision-making in Michigan local government (June 2012) State funding incentives increase local collaboration but also raise concerns (March 2012) Officials react to funding incentives (Jan. 2012) Fiscal health continues decline, though some trends have eased in 2011 (Oct. 2011) Public sector unions in Michigan: their presence and impact according to local government leaders (Aug. 2011) Assessments of state's direction and state policymaker job performance (Aug. 2011) Local government and environmental leadership (July 2011) Local leaders mostly positive on intergovernmental cooperation (March 2011) Local government pay and benefits (Feb. 2011) Support for economic gardening (Nov. 2010) Coping with fiscal, service, and staffing pressures (Aug. 2010) Promoting participation in the U.S. Census (Aug. 2010) Fiscal stimulus package impacts (May 2010) Fall 2009 key findings (April 2010) Low trust in Lansing (March 2010) Spring 2009 key findings (Oct. 2009)

Questionnaires Spring 2019 MPPS Questionnaire More questionnaires Spring 2018 MPPS Questionnaire Fall 2017 MPPS Questionnaire Spring 2017 MPPS Questionnaire Fall 2016 MPPS Questionnaire Spring 2016 MPPS Questionnaire Fall 2015 MPPS Questionnaire Spring 2015 MPPS Questionnaire Fall 2014 MPPS Questionnaire Spring 2014 MPPS Questionnaire Fall 2013 MPPS Questionnaire Spring 2013 MPPS Questionnaire Fall 2012 MPPS Questionnaire Spring 2012 MPPS Questionnaire Fall 2011 MPPS Questionnaire Spring 2011 MPPS Questionnaire Fall 2010 MPPS Questionnaire Spring 2010 MPPS Questionnaire Fall 2009 MPPS Questionnaire Spring 2009 MPPS Questionnaire

More on the MPPS

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• Map of changing fiscal health over time
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• See the MPPS regions as used for breakdowns in reports and in the data tables