MPPS Policy Brief: A survey of Michigan local government leaders on American Rescue Plan Act funding and uses

This policy brief presents Michigan local government leaders’ views on the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), including plans for spending the funds, problems the jurisdiction is facing, and expectations for benefits from the funding. These findings are based on statewide surveys of local government leaders in the spring 2022 wave of the Michigan Public Policy Survey (MPPS)— conducted between April 4 and June 6, 2022.

View policy brief

Key findings

• Top local government priorities for spending ARPA funds include capital improvements, infrastructure projects, and public safety.
• Twenty percent of jurisdictions (including 39% of the state’s largest) are collaborating with other local governments to plan or implement ARPA-funded projects, and 15% (including 35% of the largest) are engaging their community members to help identify project priorities.
• Common problems include navigating state and federal bureaucracies, various procurement challenges, and uncertainty about future funding.
• Most local leaders expect ARPA funding will at least somewhat improve their jurisdictions’ fiscal health, infrastructure, and quality of life.