Infrastructure

In the Media

Report: Locals Fiscally Sound During COVID, Long-Term Unclear

Apr 12, 2024 Gongwer

Local governments generally found themselves fiscally sound during the coronavirus pandemic due to one-time infusions of federal aid, but long-term fiscal health is more varied and could be tough to navigate due to constraints on fiscal policy, a...

MPPS in the news

A Tupperware party for solar panels: Ann Arbor bulk-buy program makes solar more affordable

Feb 14, 2024 Concentrate

In 2018, Ann Arbor resident Julie Roth vowed to take a break after two years of volunteering 20 hours a week. Then she attended an Ann Arbor District Library event about the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report. Roth thought of...

MPPS in the news

Short Term Aid Doesn't Cure Fiscal Stress, Local Leaders Say in U-M Study

Feb 12, 2024 Gongwer

A recent survey of local leaders around the state found that short-term injections of "major financial aid" don't make a great difference in addressing municipal fiscal...

MPPS in the news

Home foreclosures up in Michigan, other states, real estate data firm finds

Jan 15, 2024 Michigan Public

Foreclosures were up 10% in 2023, according to a report from real estate date firm ATTOM. Michigan was ninth in total foreclosures, and thirteenth in foreclosure rate. Michigan had 12,490 total foreclosures and a foreclosure rate of 0.27% last...

CLOSUP Updates

MPPS Report: Local government leaders sounding alarms over housing shortages spreading across Michigan

Sep 13, 2023

A new report presents the views of Michigan’s local government leaders on local housing issues, including housing capacity and condition in their community, and awareness of various state-level housing programs available to local communities. These...

In the Media

Detroit's credit rating climb shows a city healthier than in decades

Jul 13, 2023 Crain's Detroit Business

Detroit is poised to mark the 10th anniversary of its historic bankruptcy by tapping the municipal bond market for $100 million of financing, most of which will go toward its program of reviving blighted...

MPPS in the news

Municipalities Hit Spending Struggles With Federal COVID Relief Dollars

Jul 11, 2023 MIRS

Federal funds intended to stabilize the budgets of local communities have proven a daunting task to take down for multiple reasons, a recent policy survey by the University of Michigan found. Cities, villages and townships trying to spend the $4.4...

MPPS in the news

Bonds

Jul 10, 2023 StockTraderApp.com

Most Michigan local governments are spending their federal pandemic aid on capital projects, while facing challenges from rising project costs and uncertainty about future funding. A new survey from the University of Michigan’s Center for Local,...

MPPS in the news

Local Michigan governments face challenges spending ARPA funds

Jul 6, 2023 The Bond Buyer

MPPS in the news

Inflation Driving Concern About ARPA Spending For Local Governments

Jul 6, 2023 Gongwer

The federal government offered $1.9 trillion to help local governments stabilize their budgets in 2021 through the American Rescue Plan Act, but two years later, many local leaders in Michigan say inflation and supply chain challenges are making the...

MPPS in the news

Michigan towns and cities struggle to spend COVID-19 funding, survey finds

Jul 5, 2023 Ground News

The 2021 American Rescue Plan Act provides $4.4 billion to help local governments. The Michigan Public Policy Survey of nearly 2,000 local governments in the last two years has asked leaders about their experiences with the federal outlay. Most...

MPPS in the news

Survey finds Michigan towns, cities struggling to spend COVID-19 funds

Jul 5, 2023 Bravo Bulletin

Often, local governments bemoan the lack of necessary funds. But in a twist, a new University of Michigan survey found Michigan areas facing unique challenges trying to spend billions of dollars in federal COVID-19...

MPPS in the news

Michigan towns and cities struggle to spend COVID-19 funding, survey finds

Jul 5, 2023 Detroit Free Press

Often, local governments decry a lack of needed funding. But in a twist, a new University of Michigan survey found unique challenges faced by Michigan localities trying to spend some of the billions of dollars in federal COVID-19...

MPPS in the news

Local Leaders Largely Support Community-Wide Recycling

Mar 28, 2023 Gongwer News Service

Local leaders reported positive attitudes toward recycling, supporting the current services they have or expressing a desire to bring recycling services to their communities, a recent report from the Michigan Public Policy Survey...

In the Media

Flint, Michigan's finances stable but fragile as citizens get closer to state settlement payout

Mar 23, 2023 The Bond Buyer

Flint, Michigan's fiscal condition remains stable but fragile with some positive signs on the horizon as its citizens move closer to receiving compensation for the 2014 water contamination crisis, with a $600 million state-backed settlement clearing...

MPPS in the news

How some Michigan communities are using ARPA dollars

Mar 16, 2023 Rural Innovation Exchange - Secondwavemedia.com

The lens that leaders of municipalities throughout Michigan are looking through is prompting them to take a “glass half full, glass half empty” approach depending on the amount of money they received through the American Rescue Plan...

MPPS in the news

Plan Now to Overcome Reflexive Opposition to Large-Scale Solar

Mar 6, 2023 American Planning Association

Community opposition to solar projects is becoming a common hurdle that renewable energy proponents must respect and address. It often stems from uncertainty, resulting in a tension in which perceptions of place and community character are pitted...

In the Media

Whitmer’s new budget proposal: What it means for Michigan residents

Feb 24, 2023 The Michigan Daily

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced her fifth executive budget recommendation for the 2024 fiscal year on Feb. 8, setting the record for the largest budget proposal in Michigan’s history at $79...

MPPS in the news

Local Governments Report Less Fiscal Stress, But Wary

Dec 19, 2022 Gongwer News Service

Local government leaders report they are better able to financially meet their needs this year than in 2021 though remain concerned about long-term fiscal trends, according to a survey released last week. The Michigan Public Policy Survey from the...

In the Media

Indignation as Michigan judge drops Flint water charges against GOP ex-Gov Snyder

Dec 12, 2022 nationofchange.org

Environmental justice advocates on Friday condemned a move by a district judge in Michigan to drop two misdemeanor charges against former Republican Gov. Rick Snyder in connection with the 2014 Flint water crisis that killed dozens of residents of...

In the Media

Indignation as Michigan Judge Drops Flint Water Charges Against GOP Ex-Gov Snyder

Dec 10, 2022 CommonDreams.org

In the Media

Michigan Judge Drops Flint Water Charges Against Ex-Gov Snyder, Sparking Outrage

Dec 10, 2022 Truthout.org

MPPS in the news

UM survey: Michigan communities prioritize infrastructure with ARPA funds

Aug 24, 2022 Darik.news

The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor reported in a new survey of Michigan local government leaders that the top spending priorities for federal American Rescue Planning Act (ARPA) funding are on capital improvements, infrastructure and public...

MPPS in the news

U-M Survey: Michigan Communities Prioritize Infrastructure with ARPA Funds

Aug 24, 2022 DBusiness.com

The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor reported in a new survey of Michigan’s local government leaders that the top spending priorities for the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding are on capital improvements, infrastructure, and public...

CLOSUP Updates

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

Jul 28, 2022

A new 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...

In the Media

Two-decade review of Flint finances by U-M shows consequences of lack of investment, legacy costs - University of Michigan News

Jun 9, 2022 Planet's Water

The turmoil surrounding the city of Flint-most notably stemming from its lead-tainted water crisis-has become a cautionary tale for other Rust Belt cities struggling to balance their budgets, provide services and attract new...

In the Media

Two-decade review of Flint finances by U-M shows consequences of lack of investment, legacy costs

Jun 9, 2022 Spot On Michigan

MPPS in the news

Survey: Half Of Local Gov'ts Negative On Remote Hearings

Jun 3, 2022 Gongwer (subscription required)

A statewide survey of local governments found that nearly half of local officials found the conducting of meetings remotely decreased the overall quality of government meetings. The findings were part of a spring 2021 survey from the Michigan Public...

CLOSUP Updates

MPPS Report: Internet presence among Michigan local governments: websites, online services, and experience with virtual meetings

May 26, 2022

A new report presents the views of Michigan’s local government leaders regarding their jurisdiction’s online presence, including whether their local government has an official website and what it provides, the use of teleconferencing for official...

MPPS in the news

Short-Changing Michigan Local Governments Has Resulted in Deteriorating Water Systems and Other Services

May 12, 2022 Circle of Blue

Michigan has had its share of disasters. Dams collapsed after heavy rains, flooding Midland. A sinkhole the size of a football field was caused by a sewer collapse in Macomb County. And in Flint, children were exposed to lead-contaminated...