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 government employee pensions for your jurisdiction?

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

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 reliance on general fund balance?

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 public safety spending?

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

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

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

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 service-sharing plans with other governments?

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

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

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

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?

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?

Some local governments collect internal data that measure their own operations (such as tons of trash collected, emergency response times, etc.). Some collect external data about other local governments for comparing their performance or costs against that of other units. Meanwhile, some local governments don’t collect data in either of these ways. What about your jurisdiction? Do you collect such data? (check all that apply)

a. Yes, we collect internal data regarding our own operations

Some local governments collect internal data that measure their own operations (such as tons of trash collected, emergency response times, etc.). Some collect external data about other local governments for comparing their performance or costs against that of other units. Meanwhile, some local governments don’t collect data in either of these ways. What about your jurisdiction? Do you collect such data? (check all that apply)

b. Yes, we collect external data about other governments

Some local governments collect internal data that measure their own operations (such as tons of trash collected, emergency response times, etc.). Some collect external data about other local governments for comparing their performance or costs against that of other units. Meanwhile, some local governments don’t collect data in either of these ways. What about your jurisdiction? Do you collect such data? (check all that apply)

c. No, we don’t collect data about our own or other governments’ operations

Some local jurisdictions may not end up using the performance data they collect, and others may use data only occasionally on an ad hoc basis. Meanwhile, some jurisdictions use data in a systematic way as part of a formal program, for example, holding regular meetings where performance data are used to guide decision-making. Which of the following approaches best describes your jurisdiction’s use of the performance data it collects? (Among jurisdictions that reported collecting internal or external data)

Please identify the extent to which, overall, your jurisdiction uses measures of inputs (amount of resources used, such as tons of road salt) regarding your internal operations (or operations you contract out) (Among jurisdictions that reported collecting internal data and using data)