Michigan Public Policy Survey (MPPS)

Overall, do you consider your jurisdiction's fringe benefits package(s) for current employees to be too generous, about right, or not generous enough? (Among those jurisdictions that reported providing fringe benefits to current employees)

Has your jurisdiction financed liability through bonds to address GASB 45? (Among those jurisdictions which reported having fiscal obligations as a result of offering health care or other retirement benefits)

Even if it is never actually applied in your jurisdiction, overall, how effective or ineffective do you believe the Local Government & School District Fiscal Accountability Act will be at restoring or protecting your jurisdiction's fiscal health? (Among those jurisdictions which did not report being completely unfamiliar with the Local Government and School District Fiscal Accountability Act and did not indicate the appointment of an EFM within the next 12 months as being "not at all likely")

In your opinion, on a scale of 1 to 10, how likely is it that your government will have an emergency financial manager appointed by the state within the next 12 months? (Among those jurisdictions which did not report being completely unfamiliar with the Local Government and School District Fiscal Accountability Act)

How familiar are you with 'Local Govt & School Dist. Fiscal Accountability Act'?

How would you rate the way your Jurisdiction's governing board is performing its job?

How would you rate the way the Michigan Legislature is performing its job?

How would you rate the way Rick Snyder is performing his job as Michigan's governor?

Do you feel things in your jurisdiction are generally going in the right direction, or do you feel things have gotten off on the wrong track?

Do you feel things in the state of Michigan are generally going in the right direction, or do you feel things have gotten off on the wrong track?

Overall, do you consider your jurisdiction's fringe benefits package(s) for new hires to be too generous, about right, or not generous enough? (Among those jurisdictions that reported providing fringe benefits to new hires)

Has your jurisdiction increased the years of service required to receive retirement benefits? (Among those jurisdictions which reported having fiscal obligations as a result of offering health care or other retirement benefits)

Has your jurisdiction increased the age at which retirement benefits are available? (Among those jurisdictions which reported having fiscal obligations as a result of offering health care or other retirement benefits)

Has your jurisdiction reduced benefits for non-union retirees to address GASB 45? (Among those jurisdictions which reported having fiscal obligations as a result of offering health care or other retirement benefits)

Has your jurisdiction negotiated with unions to reduce benefits to address GASB 45? (Among those jurisdictions which reported having fiscal obligations as a result of offering health care or other retirement benefits)

Has your jurisdiction increased cost-sharing for retirees to address GASB 45? (Among those jurisdictions which reported having fiscal obligations as a result of offering health care or other retirement benefits)

Has your jurisdiction completed or is your jurisdiction in the process of completing an actuarial study to determine/quantify address liability for GASB 45 accounting? (Among those jurisdictions which reported having fiscal obligations as a result of offering health care or other retirement benefits)

In your opinion, are your jurisdiction's retiree health care or other post-employment benefit obligations a significant fiscal problem, somewhat of a problem, not much of a problem, or not a problem at all for your jurisdiction's fiscal health? (Among those jurisdictions which reported having fiscal obligations as a result of offering health care or other retirement benefits)

Has your jurisdiction's use of technology for citizen engagement been discouraged by no particular leaders among jurisdiction personnel pushing for adoption?

During the next twelve months, do you think your community will have good times financially, or bad times financially?

Has your jurisdiction's use of technology for citizen engagement been discouraged by concerns that unrepresentative people or groups would dominate citizen input?

Has your jurisdiction's use of technology for citizen engagement been discouraged by issues concerning compliance with the Open Meetings Act and/or the Freedom of Information Act?

Has your jurisdiction's use of technology for citizen engagement been discouraged by issues of privacy/security?

Different local jurisdictions manage their unreserved general fund balances in different ways depending on their specific circumstances. Despite these differences, we're interested in tracking overall changes in these balances over time. Approximately what was your jurisdiction's unreserved general fund balance as a percentage of general fund expenditures at the end of its last fiscal year?

Has your jurisdiction's use of technology for citizen engagement been discouraged by lack of interest among citizens?

In your current fiscal year, has your jurisdiction had to make any significant mid-year adjustments due to an inaccurate budget forecast?

Has your jurisdiction's use of technology for citizen engagement been discouraged by resistance among jurisdiction personnel?

Thinking about your jurisdiction's fiscal needs, overall, do you consider your jurisdiction's unreserved general fund balance to be too high, about right, or too low?

How likely is it that your jurisdiction will adopt formal multi-year budgeting in the next 12 months? (Among those jurisdictions reporting using single-year budgets)

Does your jurisdiction adopt single-year budgets or multi-year budgets?