Local government fiscal health

Launched in 2019, and working in partnership with the Michigan Department of Treasury, and others, CLOSUP’s Fiscal Health Project aims to develop a deeper understanding of the fiscal health and fiscal challenges of local governments in Michigan, and beyond. This deeper understanding will contribute toward a proactive approach to local fiscal health in Michigan, and promote greater transparency and earlier detection of signs of fiscal...

The Michigan Public Policy Survey (MPPS) is unique in the nation as the only ongoing survey of all general purpose local governments across an entire state. Its mission is to inform and improve policymaking with data not available from any other source, by surveying the state’s local...

APRIL, 2020: The COVID-19 crisis is having a dramatic impact on Michigan's local governments, and the fiscal implications—including emergency spending, revenue losses, and budget cuts—are already being felt. Here you will find not just up-to-date information but a set of ideas and tools that will help you strategically navigate the new fiscal landscape.  This crisis, combined with the ongoing municipal funding challenges in Michigan, will require an even greater effort on behalf of local officials and administrators to quickly assess resources, respond to changing policies and legislation,...

Note: This project was active at CLOSUP from 2001 to 2006. The information below is for archival purposes. Responding to taxpayer dissatisfaction over high property taxes, Michigan, like many other states, has passed legislation to restrict annual property tax increases. Beginning in 1978, the state's voters adopted the Headlee Amendment to the Michigan Constitution, limiting annual growth in property tax revenues to the lesser of 5 percent or the rate of inflation. In 1994, the voters passed Proposal A, restructuring school finance and placing a cap on annual increases in property value...