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...
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...
A new report from CLOSUP illustrates how data found in basic financial statements may be used to understand how Flint’s financial condition has changed over time. We draw on data from Flint’s Annual Comprehensive Financial Reports from FY 2000 to...
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...
More than half of Michigan’s local officials say that moving government meetings online during the pandemic decreased the overall quality of such gatherings, according to a University of Michigan...
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...
Leaders of Michigan communities both large and small overwhelmingly agree recycling remains important, but they face challenges to implement recycling programs for their residents.
A recent University of Michigan public policy survey showed...
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...
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...
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...
Another tax change also occurred due to the Great Recession. Sales taxes are sent to the state, and some are redistributed to cities, villages and towns. Part of this is provided by the Constitution. The second formula, called the statutory share,...
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...
Ford Motor Co.'s $5.6 billion investment in west Tennessee is being cited in a controversial move by the state's Comptroller of the Treasury to take financial control of a small, predominantly Black town just miles from Blue Oval City, the future...
Researchers at the University of Michigan on Wednesday announced plans to help Flint, Michigan, develop new open-data standards to improve the city’s financial...
Washington — President Joe Biden on Monday signed into law the largest investment in the nation's infrastructure in decades, and Michigan will receive what one expert called a "once in a lifetime" boost of at least $10 billion for its highways,...
Policy Talks @ the Ford School/CLOSUP Lecture Series
The Next Big Thing: Redistricting in Michigan and the Role of Communities of Interest
Thursday February 2, 2021
7:00pm – 8:30pm EST (a virtual event -- register below to receive the viewing...
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 12...
CLOSUP is partnering with experts from universities, consulting firms, and research institutions across Michigan to help local governments respond to fiscal challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic.
View the Resource Guide
View the news...
This report provides an annual update on Michigan local government fiscal health. Using financial data reported to the State of Michigan in 2023, this analysis develops a set of indicators to look at cash, budgetary, long-term, and service solvency...
Following local government’s unprecedented responsibilities as first responders to the COVID-19 pandemic and their subsequent infusions of aid from the federal government, it is essential to check in on the fiscal health of Michigan’s local...
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...
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 14...
This case study examines the fiscal health of Pine River Township, Michigan, a mostly rural community in central Michigan, using data from the Township’s audited financial reports. We find that Pine River Township has a sizable and growing General...
This case study examines the fiscal health of Ogemaw County, Michigan, a mostly rural county in the northeast lower peninsula of Michigan, using data from the County’s annual audited financial reports. We find that while Ogemaw County has struggled...
Over the past twenty years, few cities have experienced as much fiscal stress as Flint, Michigan. After decades of economic decline, two periods of state receivership, the water crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic, the City of Flint is trying to shore...
This 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...
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 13...
Christen Richardson and Capri Backus, Policy Analysts
This case study takes an in-depth look at the fiscal health stress of two tourist cities (City X and City Y) using a wide range of financial and demographic factors as well as findings from the Michigan Public Policy Survey. This case study...
XBRL, an open data standard, can improve access and analysis of public financial data for local governments in Michigan. Key benefits of creating an XBRL program for local governments include enhanced public transparency, easier data access for...
