Michigan Public Policy Survey Questions and Data Tables

Regardless of whether or not your jurisdiction expects to have a budget surplus this year, in your opinion, what would be the highest priority for using any potential surplus (if it had one) according to the following groups or individuals? Do you think that they would prefer to spend the budget surplus on public services or infrastructure, save that money for future use, use it to pay down any debt your jurisdiction may have, or reduce taxes? The majority of your jurisdiction's citizens would prefer to...

Regardless of whether or not your jurisdiction expects to have a budget surplus this year, in your opinion, what would be the highest priority for using any potential surplus (if it had one) according to the following groups or individuals? Do you think that they would prefer to spend the budget surplus on public services or infrastructure, save that money for future use, use it to pay down any debt your jurisdiction may have, or reduce taxes? You personally in your role as a local official would prefer to...

Now, regardless of whether or not your jurisdiction expects to have a budget deficit this year, in your opinion, what would be the preferred method for eliminating any potential deficit (if it had one) according to the following groups or individuals? Do you think that they would prefer to cut costs/services, increase taxes, use any savings your jurisdiction may have or increase debt (if legally allowable)? The majority of your jurisdiction's Board/Council would prefer to...

Now, regardless of whether or not your jurisdiction expects to have a budget deficit this year, in your opinion, what would be the preferred method for eliminating any potential deficit (if it had one) according to the following groups or individuals? Do you think that they would prefer to cut costs/services, increase taxes, use any savings your jurisdiction may have or increase debt (if legally allowable)? The majority of your jurisdiction's citizens would prefer to...

Now, regardless of whether or not your jurisdiction expects to have a budget deficit this year, in your opinion, what would be the preferred method for eliminating any potential deficit (if it had one) according to the following groups or individuals? Do you think that they would prefer to cut costs/services, increase taxes, use any savings your jurisdiction may have or increase debt (if legally allowable)? You personally in your role as a local official would prefer to...

We know there are regular assessments of many public roads using formal scoring methods, however, we are interested in your personal evaluation of the overall condition of roads and bridges within your jurisdiction’s geographic boundaries. In your opinion, how would you rate the overall current condition within your jurisdiction of state trunk lines and county primary roads?

We know there are regular assessments of many public roads using formal scoring methods, however, we are interested in your personal evaluation of the overall condition of roads and bridges within your jurisdiction’s geographic boundaries. In your opinion, how would you rate the overall current condition within your jurisdiction of local paved roads?

We know there are regular assessments of many public roads using formal scoring methods, however, we are interested in your personal evaluation of the overall condition of roads and bridges within your jurisdiction’s geographic boundaries. In your opinion, how would you rate the overall current condition within your jurisdiction of local unpaved roads?

We know there are regular assessments of many public roads using formal scoring methods, however, we are interested in your personal evaluation of the overall condition of roads and bridges within your jurisdiction’s geographic boundaries. In your opinion, how would you rate the overall current condition within your jurisdiction of bridges, in general, within your geographic boundaries?

We know there are regular assessments of many public roads using formal scoring methods, however, we are interested in your personal evaluation of the overall condition of roads and bridges within your jurisdiction’s geographic boundaries. In your opinion, how would you rate the overall current condition within your jurisdiction of roads, in general, within your geographic boundaries?

Thinking about the condition of roads and bridges within your community overall, to what degree would you say their current condition has a positive or negative impact, if any, on your jurisdiction’s economic development?

Thinking about the condition of roads and bridges within your community overall, to what degree would you say their current condition has a positive or negative impact, if any, on your jurisdiction government’s fiscal health?

Thinking about the condition of roads and bridges within your community overall, to what degree would you say their current condition has a positive or negative impact, if any, on tourism in your jurisdiction?

Thinking about the condition of roads and bridges within your community overall, to what degree would you say their current condition has a positive or negative impact, if any, on the agricultural sector in your jurisdiction?

Thinking about the condition of roads and bridges within your community overall, to what degree would you say their current condition has a positive or negative impact, if any, on the ability of public safety personnel to respond to an emergency in your jurisdiction?

Thinking about the condition of roads and bridges within your community overall, to what degree would you say their current condition has a positive or negative impact, if any, on citizen satisfaction with your jurisdiction’s government?

In your opinion, where would you say the majority of your jurisdiction’s Board/Council would rank the need for road and bridge maintenance and improvement compared to other public service priorities (e.g., public safety services, economic development, public health, trash collection, etc.) for your local government?

In your opinion, where would you say the majority of your jurisdiction’s citizens would rank the need for road and bridge maintenance and improvement compared to other public service priorities (e.g., public safety services, economic development, public health, trash collection, etc.) for your local government?

In your opinion, where would you say the majority of your jurisdiction’s business community would rank the need for road and bridge maintenance and improvement compared to other public service priorities (e.g., public safety services, economic development, public health, trash collection, etc.) for your local government?

In your opinion, where would you say you personally in your role as a local official would rank the need for road and bridge maintenance and improvement compared to other public service priorities (e.g., public safety services, economic development, public health, trash collection, etc.) for your local government?

Once again, thinking about the condition of roads and bridges in your community overall, to what degree would you say their condition has changed over the past five years, if at all? Please indicate whether—in your opinion—the overall condition of roads and bridges in your geographic boundaries, in general, has improved, deteriorated, or not changed significantly over the past five years.

In some local jurisdictions, the focus of road and/or bridge maintenance and improvement is on long-term asset management. In other jurisdictions, the focus is necessarily on short-term repairs and “band-aid” fixes. Which of the following, in your opinion, best describes the current approach to road and/or bridge maintenance and improvement within your jurisdiction’s geographic boundaries? (Please respond to the best of your knowledge, even if your jurisdiction does not control local road policy.)

Some counties or localities have had to resort to grinding up paved roads that they can no longer afford to maintain. As far as you know, has this been done to one or more paved roads within your jurisdiction’s geographic boundaries during the past five years?

If the state legislature does not significantly increase funding for roads and/or bridges in your jurisdiction, in your opinion, how much of a problem, if at all, would it be to maintain the roads and bridges, in general, within your geographic boundaries?

If the state legislature does not significantly increase funding for roads and/or bridges in your jurisdiction, in your opinion, how much of a problem, if at all, would it be to improve the roads and bridges, in general, within your geographic boundaries?