Michigan Public Policy Survey Questions and Data Tables

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

Has there been a decrease, an increase, or no change from the previous fiscal year in the cost of your jurisdiction's current employee health benefits?

Has there been a decrease, an increase, or no change from the previous fiscal year in the cost of your jurisdiction's retired employee health benefits?

Thinking about the next fiscal year, which action has your jurisdiction taken or is likely to take regarding property tax rates?

Thinking about the next fiscal year, which action has your jurisdiction taken or is likely to take regarding charges for fees, licenses, etc.?

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 services provided?

Thinking about the next fiscal year, which action has your jurisdiction taken or is likely to take regarding actual public safety spending?

Thinking about the next fiscal year, which action has your jurisdiction taken or is likely to take regarding actual infrastructure spending?

Thinking about the next fiscal year, which action has your jurisdiction taken or is likely to take regarding actual human services spending?

Thinking about the next fiscal year, which action has your jurisdiction taken or is likely to take regarding actual general government operations spending?

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

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

Thinking about the next fiscal year, which action has your jurisdiction taken or is likely to take regarding privatizing or contracting out of services?

Thinking about the next fiscal year, which action has your jurisdiction taken or is likely to take regarding the number and/or scope of interlocal agreements or other cost-sharing plans with other governments?

Thinking about the next fiscal year, which action has your jurisdiction taken or is likely to take regarding the number of employees that work for your jurisdiction?

Thinking about the next fiscal year, which action has your jurisdiction taken or is likely to take regarding employee pay rates?

Thinking about the next fiscal year, which action has your jurisdiction taken or is likely to take regarding employees' share of premiums, deductibles and/or co-pays on health insurance?

Thinking about the next fiscal year, which action has your jurisdiction taken or is likely to take regarding employees' share of contributions to retirement funds?

Thinking about the next fiscal year, which action has your jurisdiction taken or is likely to take regarding retirees' share of premiums, deductibles and/or co-pays on health insurance?

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 as you expect it to be five years from now?