Michigan Public Policy Survey Questions and Data Tables

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 jurisdiction's number of employees?

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

To what extent, if any, would you say the cost of election administration on your jurisdiction’s budget has or has not not recently been a problem with election administration in your jurisdiction?

Does your jurisdiction have any paid employees other than elected officials? If so, which of the following type(s)? (check all that apply) 

a. None: we have no paid employees besides elected officials:

Does your jurisdiction have any paid employees other than elected officials? If so, which of the following type(s)? (check all that apply) 

b. Full-time

Does your jurisdiction have any paid employees other than elected officials? If so, which of the following type(s)? (check all that apply) 

c. Part-time

Does your jurisdiction have any paid employees other than elected officials? If so, which of the following type(s)? (check all that apply) 

d. Seasonal

Does your jurisdiction have any paid employees other than elected officials? If so, which of the following type(s)? (check all that apply) 

e. Temporary/irregular

Overall, do you consider your jurisdiction’s pay rate(s) for new hires to be too high, about right, or too low? (Among jurisdictions that have full-time, part-time, or seasonal employees)

Overall, do you consider your jurisdiction’s pay rate(s) for current employees to be too high, about right, or too low? (Among jurisdictions that have full-time, part-time, or seasonal employees)

Does your jurisdiction provide any fringe benefits to new hires? (Among jurisdictions that have full-time, part-time, or seasonal employees)

Does your jurisdiction provide any fringe benefits to current employees? (Among jurisdictions that have full-time, part-time, or seasonal employees)

Overall, do you consider your jurisdiction’s fringe benefits package(s) — or lack thereof — for new hires to be too generous, about right, or not generous enough? (Among jurisdictions that have full-time, part-time, or seasonal employees)

Overall, do you consider your jurisdiction’s fringe benefits package(s) — or lack thereof — for current employees to be too generous, about right, or not generous enough? (Among jurisdictions that have full-time, part-time, or seasonal employees)