Michigan Public Policy Survey Questions and Data Tables

Thinking about business conditions in your community, do you think that during the next twelve months your community will have good times financially, or bad times financially?

Would you say that your unit of government is less able or better able to meet its financial needs in this fiscal year compared to the last fiscal year?

Has there been a decrease, an increase, or no change from the previous fiscal year in your jurisdiction's ability to repay its debt?

Thinking about the next fiscal year, which action has your jurisdiction taken or is likely to take regarding reliance on general fund balance?

Thinking about your jurisdiction’s fiscal needs, overall, do you consider your jurisdiction’s unreserved/unassigned general fund balance to be too high, about right, or too low?

In your opinion, is your jurisdiction’s cash flow and its ability to pay bills in a timely manner a significant fiscal problem, somewhat of a problem, not much of a problem, or not a problem at all?

Thinking about the overall fiscal stress of your jurisdiction today and what you expect it to be down the road - including any future financial obligations it may have - on a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is the best: perfect fiscal health and 10 is the worst: fiscal crisis, how would you rate your jurisdiction's overall fiscal stress today?

Thinking about the overall fiscal stress of your jurisdiction today and what you expect it to be down the road - including any future financial obligations it may have - on a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is the best: perfect fiscal health and 10 is the worst: fiscal crisis, how would you rate your jurisdiction's overall fiscal stress as you expect it to be five years from now?

During the next twelve months, do you think your community will have good times financially, or bad times?

Would you say that your unit of government is less able or better able to meet its financial needs in this fiscal year compared to the last fiscal year?

Would you say that your unit of government is less able or better able to meet its financial needs in the next fiscal year compared to this fiscal year?

Has there been a decrease, an increase, or no change from the previous fiscal year in your jurisdiction's amount of debt?

Has there been a decrease, an increase, or no change from the previous fiscal year in your jurisdiction's ability to repay its debt?

Has there been a decrease, an increase, or no change from the previous fiscal year in the amount of federal aid to your jurisdiction?

Has there been a decrease, an increase, or no change from the previous fiscal year in the number of home foreclosures in your jurisdiction?

Thinking about the next fiscal year, which action has your jurisdiction taken or is likely to take regarding reliance on general fund balance?

Thinking about the next fiscal year, which action has your jurisdiction taken or is likely to take regarding reliance on "rainy day" funds?

Thinking about the next fiscal year, which action has your jurisdiction taken or is likely to take regarding the amount of debt?

Different local jurisdictions manage their unreserved/unassigned general fund balances in different ways depending on their specific circumstances. Despite these differences, we’re interested in tracking overall changes in these balances over time. Approximately what was your jurisdiction’s unreserved/unassigned general fund balance as a percentage of general fund expenditures at the end of its last fiscal year?

Thinking about your jurisdiction’s fiscal needs, overall, do you consider your jurisdiction’s unreserved/unassigned general fund balance to be too high, about right, or too low?

In your opinion, is your jurisdiction’s cash flow and its ability to pay bills in a timely manner a significant fiscal problem, somewhat of a problem, not much of a problem, or not a problem at all?

Now, thinking about the overall fiscal stress in your jurisdiction today and what you expect it to be down the road — including any future financial obligations it may have — on a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is the best: perfect fiscal health and 10 is the worst: fiscal crisis, how would you rate your jurisdiction’s overall fiscal stress today?

Now, thinking about the overall fiscal stress in your jurisdiction today and what you expect it to be down the road — including any future financial obligations it may have — on a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is the best: perfect fiscal health and 10 is the worst: fiscal crisis, how would you rate your jurisdiction’s overall fiscal stress as you expect it to be five years from now?

While any particular jurisdiction in fiscal distress faces unique challenges, in general, how important—if at all—do you think population loss is as a factor in contributing to local government fiscal distress in Michigan?