MPPS publications

Reports from the Michigan Public Policy Survey

The Michigan Public Policy Survey (MPPS) is the first state-wide ongoing survey of local officials from all 1,856 counties, cities, townships, and villages in Michigan. Each biannual survey provides long-term data on a number of issues, resulting in several reports that cover core fiscal, budgetary, and operational policy, compensation, intergovernmental collaboration, economic and workforce development, and more. CLOSUP continues to investigate new issues relevant to local and state policy.

January 2025

Half of Michigan local law enforcement agencies say they are underfunded, while most local governments are satisfied with their appropriations

This report presents the views of Michigan’s local government leaders, local chiefs of police, county sheriffs, and county prosecutors regarding funding for law enforcement agencies, including assessments of whether sheriff’s offices and police departments receive the appropriate levels of funding, whether local officials would support pursuing new local millages or special assessments to fund law enforcement, and what each group’s top priorities for potential new spending would be.

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November 2024

Pretrial diversion programs work, according to Michigan police chiefs, sheriffs, and county prosecutors

This policy brief presents the views of Michigan’s local chiefs of police, county sheriffs, and county prosecutors from around the state on the impacts of pretrial diversion programs and whether they would support diversion programs in their jurisdictions.

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• See all reports from the Spring 2024 MPPS

  • Half of Michigan local law enforcement agencies say they are underfunded, while most local governments are satisfied with their appropriations (January 2025)
  • Pretrial diversion programs work, according to Michigan police chiefs, sheriffs, and county prosecutors (November 2024)
  • Michigan local government and law enforcement leaders’ initial opinions of Michigan’s new "red flag" law (October 2024)
  • Michigan local governments report increased challenges with law enforcement recruitment and retention (September 2024)
  • Michigan local government leaders’ concerns about the health of democracy edge upward, including at local level (August 2024) 

  See all reports from the Fall 2023 MPPS

  • Michigan local governments’ planning and zoning on energy policy (July 2024)
  • Michigan local government officials’ views on expanding energy infrastructure in their jurisdictions (May 2024)
  • Michigan local government leaders report increases in local planning for electric vehicles (EVs) (May 2024)
  • Most Michigan local government officials say control over renewable energy projects should stay local (February 2024)
     

2023 Fiscal Health Report

Survey of Michigan local leaders finds major short-term boost in financial aid doesn't change fundamentals of fiscal stress

January 2024: This report presents Michigan local government leaders’ assessments of their jurisdictions’ fiscal conditions and the actions they plan to take in the coming year given their financial situations. The findings are based on responses from 15 statewide survey waves of the Michigan Public Policy Survey (MPPS) conducted annually each spring from 2009 through 2023. The Spring 2023 wave of the Michigan Public Policy Survey (MPPS) was conducted between February 6 – April 17, 2023.

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• See all annual fiscal health tracking reports

  • Survey of Michigan local leaders finds major short-term boost in financial aid doesn't change fundamentals of fiscal stress (January 2024)
  • Michigan local leaders report near-term improvements in fiscal health, especially in large jurisdictions, yet long-term concerns increase (December 2022)
  • Michigan local government officials report improved fiscal health after a year of COVID-19, but not yet back to pre-pandemic levels (December 2021)
  • COVID-19 pandemic sparks Michigan local leaders’ concerns for fiscal health (December 2020)
  • Mixed signals continue for Michigan local governments' fiscal health, while future outlooks worsen (December 2019)
  • Despite sustained economic growth, Michigan local government fiscal health still lags (November 2018)
  • Michigan local government officials report complex mix of improvement and decline in fiscal health, but with overall trend moving slowly upward (October 2017)
  • Michigan local governments report first declines in fiscal health trend since 2010 (August 2016)
  • Fiscal health rated relatively good for most jurisdictions, but improvements slow and decline continues for many (September 2015)
  • Michigan local governments finally pass fiscal health tipping point overall, but one in four still report decline (October 2014)
  • Michigan local government fiscal health continues gradual improvement, but smallest jurisdictions lagging (September 2013)
  • Fiscal stress continues for hundreds of Michigan jurisdictions, but conditions trend in positive direction overall (September 2012)
  • MPPS finds fiscal health continues to decline across the state, though some negative trends eased in 2011 (October 2011)
  • Local governments struggle to cope with fiscal, service, and staffing pressures (August 2010)
  • Local Government Fiscal and Economic Development Issues (October 2009)
  • Additional reports on system of funding local government, local government workforce, and more related topics

2023 GOVERNMENT PERFORMANCE

MPPS Policy Brief: Despite two-year trend of improvement, most Michigan local officials continue to say the state is on the wrong track

May 2023: This report presents the opinions of Michigan’s local government leaders regarding the direction in which the state is headed, as well as their evaluations of the job performance of Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Legislature. The findings are based on statewide surveys of local government leaders in the spring 2023 wave of the MPPS and tracking comparisons to previous spring waves.

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• See all annual ratings of government performance and “right track” assessments

  • MPPS Policy Brief: Despite two-year trend of improvement, most Michigan local officials continue to say the state is on the wrong track (May 2023)
  • Local leaders’ pessimism about Michigan’s direction continues, but eases slightly from last year (July 2022)
  • Local leaders’ concerns about Michigan’s direction spike, while evaluations of state leaders sink over the past year (July 2021)
  • Local leaders' evaluations of Michigan's direction and Governor's performance during the COVID-19 pandemic's arrival (July 2020)
  • New Governor, new evaluations of the direction Michigan is headed among local leaders (August 2019)
  • Rising confidence in Michigan’s direction among local leaders, but partisan differences remain (July 2018)
  • Michigan local leaders' doubts continue regarding state's direction (July 2016)
  • Confidence in Michigan's direction declines among state's local leaders (August 2015)
  • Confidence in Michigan’s direction holds steady among state’s local leaders (August 2014)
  • Local leaders evaluate state policymaker performance and whether Michigan is on the right track (August 2013)
  • Michigan’s local leaders more positive about Governor Snyder’s performance, more optimistic about the state’s direction (July 2012)
  • Despite increased approval of state government performance, Michigan's local leaders are concerned about the state's direction (August 2011)
  • Local government officials give low marks to the performance of state officials and report low trust in Lansing (March 2010)

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