Report Series Type

MPPS

Showing 61 - 90 of 125 results

MPPS

Local leaders’ views on elections in Michigan: accuracy, problems, and reform options

November 1, 2017

This report presents the opinions of Michigan’s local government leaders on issues related to election administration in their jurisdictions, including problems encountered, worker recruitment and training, updating voting equipment, and potential...

MPPS

Michigan local government officials report complex mix of improvement and decline in fiscal health, but with overall trend moving slowly upward

October 1, 2017

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 nine...

MPPS

Michigan local leaders want their citizens to play a larger role in policymaking, but report declining engagement

July 1, 2017

This report presents Michigan local government leaders’ assessments of issues related to citizen engagement with their local governments, and the role that citizens play in the local policymaking process. The findings in this report are based on...

MPPS

Michigan local leaders’ views on state preemption and how to share policy authority

June 1, 2017

This report presents the opinions of Michigan’s local government leaders regarding concerns over state government preemption of local decision making and preferred areas of shared and separate policy authority between local and state government. The...

MPPS

Improving communication, building trust are seen as keys to fixing relationships between local jurisdictions and the State government

April 1, 2017

This report presents the opinions of Michigan’s local government leaders regarding the relationships between their local jurisdictions and the State government, including particular factors that affect State-local relations, how those relations...

MPPS

Local leaders more likely to support than oppose Michigan’s Emergency Manager law, but strongly favor reforms

February 1, 2017

This report presents the opinions of Michigan’s local government leaders regarding the state’s Emergency Manager law, officially known as Michigan’s Local Financial Stability and Choice Act (P.A. 436 of 2012). This law is targeted at local...

MPPS

Local government leaders' views on drinking water and water supply infrastructure in Michigan communities

November 1, 2016

This report presents Michigan local government leaders’ assessments of issues related to the provision of drinking water in their communities, including threats to water safety, the condition of infrastructure, challenges regarding shared local...

MPPS

Michigan local leaders say property tax appeals are common, disagree with dark stores assessing

October 1, 2016

The issue of property tax appeals has been increasingly important in Michigan recently as “big box” stores (e.g. Lowe’s, Costco, etc.) have been able to significantly decrease their taxes by arguing property assessments should be based on the value...

MPPS

Local officials say Michigan’s system of funding local government is broken, and seek State action to fix it

September 1, 2016

This report presents views of Michigan’s local government leaders regarding the state’s system of funding local government, whether it needs to be reformed, and what reforms they prefer. It also includes their preferences for raising additional...

MPPS

Michigan local governments report first declines in fiscal health trend since 2010

August 1, 2016

MPPS

Emergency Medical Services in Michigan: challenges and approaches among local governments

July 1, 2016

This report presents Michigan local government leaders’ concerns regarding assessments of ambulance and emergency medical services in their jurisdiction, including how these services are provided and funded. The findings are based on statewide...

MPPS

Michigan local leaders' doubts continue regarding state's direction

July 1, 2016

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 Rick Snyder and the Michigan Legislature. These findings...

MPPS

Firefighting services in Michigan: challenges and approaches among local governments

June 1, 2016

This report examines Michigan local government leaders’ opinions on fire protection services in their communities, including satisfaction with fire services and funding of fire protection at the local level. The findings are based on statewide...

MPPS

Most local officials are satisfied with law enforcement services, but almost half from largest jurisdictions say their funding is insufficient

April 1, 2016

This report examines Michigan local government leaders’ opinions on law enforcement services in their community, including the perception of problems with crime in the community, satisfaction with law enforcement performance, and funding of law...

MPPS

Local leaders say police-community relations are good throughout Michigan, but those in large cities are concerned about potential unrest over police use-of-force

February 1, 2016

This report presents Michigan local government leaders’ assessments of police-community relations, concern over the potential for civil unrest, and the use of a range of law enforcement policies, practices, and equipment in their jurisdiction. The...

MPPS

Responding to budget surplus vs. deficit: the preferences of Michigan’s local leaders and citizens

December 1, 2015

This report presents the opinions of Michigan’s local government leaders and Michigan citizens on the question of policy preferences when local governments face either budget deficits or budget surpluses. These findings are based on statewide...

MPPS

Michigan's local leaders concerned about retiree health care costs and their governments' ability to meet future obligations

October 1, 2015

This report presents the opinions of Michigan’s local government leaders regarding the retiree health care benefits—typically referred to as other post-employment benefits (OPEB)—that their local governments provide to employees, retirees, and/or...

MPPS

Fiscal health rated relatively good for most jurisdictions, but improvements slow and decline continues for many

September 1, 2015

MPPS

Confidence in Michigan's direction declines among state's local leaders

August 1, 2015

MPPS

Michigan local government leaders' views on private roads

July 1, 2015

This report presents the opinions of Michigan local government leaders on issues related to private roads—that is, local roads owned or maintained not by public agencies, but by developers or by private entities such as homeowners' associations. The...

MPPS

Few Michigan jurisdictions have adopted Complete Streets policies, though many see potential benefits

June 1, 2015

This report presents the opinions of Michigan local government leaders regarding “Complete Streets” policies, which encourage local governments to take into account all road users—including pedestrians, bicyclists and transit passengers of all ages...

MPPS

Michigan local leaders have positive views on relationships with county road agencies, despite some concerns

May 1, 2015

This report presents the opinions of Michigan local government leaders and officials from the state’s county road agencies regarding the relationships between local governments and county road agencies, as well as local officials’ ratings of road...

MPPS

Michigan local government leaders say transit services are important, but lack of funding discourages their development

April 1, 2015

This report presents the opinions of Michigan local government leaders on issues in their communities related to public transit services, including satisfaction with transit options as well as factors that encourage or discourage transit...

MPPS

Michigan local leaders see need for state and local ethics reform

March 1, 2015

This report presents Michigan local government leaders' views on a variety of issues regarding ethics at the state and local levels, including how ethical they believe Michigan's state and local government leaders are, what types of ethics policies...

MPPS

Local leaders say Michigan road funding needs major increase, but lack consensus on options that would raise the most revenue

February 1, 2015

This report presents the opinions of Michigan’s local government leaders on a range of issues surrounding roads and bridges in their jurisdictions, from their current condition and maintenance to state and local road funding. Findings in the report...

MPPS

Michigan local government leaders' views on employee pay and benefits

January 1, 2015

This report presents Michigan local government leaders' evaluations of their jurisdictions' employee pay and fringe benefit rates. Findings in the report are based on the statewide survey waves of the Michigan Public Policy Survey (MPPS),...

MPPS

Despite increasingly formal financial management, relatively few Michigan local governments have adopted recommended policies

December 1, 2014

This report presents findings on the presence and use of formal financial planning and management policies in Michigan local jurisdictions, based on statewide surveys of local government leaders in the Spring 2014 wave of the Michigan Public Policy...

MPPS

Most Michigan local officials are satisfied with their privatized services, but few seek to expand further

November 1, 2014

This report presents Michigan local government leaders’ assessments of privatizing—or contracting out—public services or government operations in their jurisdictions. These findings are based on statewide surveys of local government leaders in the...

MPPS

Michigan local governments finally pass fiscal health tipping point overall, but one in four still report decline

October 1, 2014

This report presents Michigan local government leaders’ assessments of their jurisdictions’ fiscal conditions and the actions they are taking in response to ongoing and widespread fiscal challenges. The findings are based on responses from six...

MPPS

Beyond the coast, a tenuous relationship between Michigan local governments and the Great Lakes

September 1, 2014

This report presents the opinions of Michigan’s local government leaders regarding the bonds – economic and otherwise – between their jurisdictions and the Great Lakes, their support or opposition to policies designed to protect the health of the...