Spring 2012 Michigan Public Policy Survey Homepage

The Spring 2012 Michigan Public Policy Survey

• Topics:
  • Annual tracking items for fiscal, budget, operation policies; public sector unions and negotiations; package of services provided and trade-off with taxes; system of funding local government; personal property tax; emergency manager law; k-12 education; job approval evaluations for governor, legislature, state agencies; right direction vs. wrong track for state and own jurisdiction
• Methodology:
  • This survey ran from April 9 to June 26, 2012 and received responses from 72% of jurisdictions
• Survey questionnaire
• Pre-run data tables
• Publications:
  • Michigan's local leaders more positive about Governor Snyder's performance, more optimistic about the state's direction
  • Fiscal stress continues for hundreds of Michigan jurisdictions, but conditions trend in positive direction overall
  • Michigan's local leaders are divided over the state's emergency manager law
  • Michigan's local leaders satisfied with union negotiations
  • Local leaders support eliminating Michigan's Personal Property Tax if funds are replaced, but distrust state follow-through
  • Local leaders support reforming Michigan's system of funding local government
• Access data at ICPSR:
  • Learn more about MPPS data access at ICPSR
  • Public/Student-use datasets
    • Annual tracking data on budget and operations policy and fiscal health
    • Emergency manager law
    • Employee benefits
    • K-12 education
    • Personal property tax
    • State direction and policymaker job performance evaluations
    • System of funding local governments and public service provision
    • Public employee unions
  • Restricted-use dataset
    • Restricted-use codebook

A special advisory committee of expert stakeholders helped plan the Spring 2012 MPPS, including the following people:

• Bill Anderson, Michigan Townships Association
• Roger Fraser, Michigan Department of Treasury
• Joe Heffernan, Plante Moran
• Eric Lupher, Citizens' Reseach Council
• Mike McGee, Miller Canfield
• Larry Merrill, Michigan Townships Association
• Summer Minnick, Michigan Municipal League
• Eric Scorsone, MSU Land Policy Institute
• Mark Skidmore, MSU Department of Economics
• Arnold Weinfeld, Michigan Municipal League

The final questionnaire design reflects decisions made the CLOSUP MPPS staff, which may not represent the views of advisory committee members or others who provided input.