Michigan Public Policy Survey Questions and Data Tables

Michigan currently prohibits state legislators from receiving honoraria (e.g., speaking fees or other payments for service), but allows certain levels of gifts, food, and travel or lodging expenses to be paid by outside interests. To what extent do you agree or disagree that policies prohibiting honoraria, limiting gifts, and requiring gift disclosures should apply to local government officials across the state?

Does your jurisdiction currently have any policies that prohibit, limit, or require disclosure for honoraria for local elected and/or appointed officials?

Does your jurisdiction currently have any policies that prohibit, limit, or require disclosure for gifts, food, travel, and lodging paid for by outside sources?

Does your jurisdiction’s local government have a code of ethics?

How often, if at all, would you say local elected and/or appointed officials in your jurisdiction’s government face issues that present potential conflicts of interest (that is, where the official or his/her family may receive tangible benefits—personal or business-related—because of actions taken or decisions made as a government official)?

Concerns about government ethics—some with merit, others without—can sometimes be raised by citizens and organizations in the community. Please identify whether your jurisdiction has experienced Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests related to potential ethical concerns in the last five years and whether any of the actions ultimately resulted in findings of legitimate concern.

Concerns about government ethics—some with merit, others without—can sometimes be raised by citizens and organizations in the community. Please identify whether your jurisdiction has experienced accusations of Open Meetings Act violations in the last five years and whether any of the actions ultimately resulted in findings of legitimate concern.

Concerns about government ethics—some with merit, others without—can sometimes be raised by citizens and organizations in the community. Please identify whether your jurisdiction has experienced accusations of impropriety against one or more of your jurisdiction's government officials in the last five years and whether any of the actions ultimately resulted in findings of legitimate concern.

Thinking back over the past five years, have you in your role as a local official ever come under pressure to do something that you felt might be unethical?

Were other officials from your own jurisdiction a source from which you felt pressure to do something during the past five years that, in your role as a local official, you felt might be unethical?

Were officials from other jurisdictions or other levels of government a source from which you felt pressure to do something during the past five years that, in your role as a local official, you felt might be unethical?

Were members of the business community a source from which you felt pressure to do something during the past five years that, in your role as a local official, you felt might be unethical?

Were members of the public a source from which you felt pressure to do something during the past five years that, in your role as a local official, you felt might be unethical?

Were family and friends a source from which you felt pressure to do something during the past five years that, in your role as a local official, you felt might be unethical?

Overall, how satisfied are you with your jurisdiction’s policies and practices governing ethics?

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?

Thinking about the financial needs of your jurisdiction, 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?

Thinking about the financial needs of your jurisdiction, 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?

Comparing your jurisdiction's current fiscal year to its previous fiscal year, please consider the ways the following items have changed. Indicate whether — in your opinion — there has been a decrease, an increase, or no change from the previous fiscal year to revenue from property taxes.

Comparing your jurisdiction's current fiscal year to its previous fiscal year, please consider the ways the following items have changed. Indicate whether in your opinion there has been a decrease, an increase, or no change from the previous fiscal year to revenue from fees for services, licenses, transfers, etc.

Comparing your jurisdiction's current fiscal year to its previous fiscal year, please consider the ways the following items have changed. Indicate whether in your opinion there has been a decrease, an increase, or no change from the previous fiscal year to your jurisdiction's amount of debt.

Comparing your jurisdiction's current fiscal year to its previous fiscal year, please consider the ways the following items have changed. Indicate whether in your opinion there has been a decrease, an increase, or no change from the previous fiscal year to your jurisdiction's ability to repay its debt.

Comparing your jurisdiction's current fiscal year to its previous fiscal year, please consider the ways the following items have changed. Indicate whether in your opinion there has been a decrease, an increase, or no change from the previous fiscal year to the amount of federal aid to your jurisdiction.

Comparing your jurisdiction's current fiscal year to its previous fiscal year, please consider the ways the following items have changed. Indicate whether in your opinion there has been a decrease, an increase, or no change from the previous fiscal year to the amount of state aid to your jurisdiction.

Comparing your jurisdiction's current fiscal year to its previous fiscal year, please consider the ways the following items have changed. Indicate whether in your opinion there has been a decrease, an increase, or no change from the previous fiscal year to tax delinquencies in your jurisdiction.