Michigan Public Policy Survey (MPPS)

To what extent would you support or oppose changing the Emergency Manager Law by including provisions for possible new (time limited) local or state revenue options for jurisdictions with Emergency Managers?

Thinking overall about local governments that have faced—or will face—a financial emergency, how effective or ineffective do you believe the Emergency Manager Law has been, or will be, at restoring fiscal health in the short-term (i.e., balancing the books)?

To what extent do you support or oppose allowing a State-appointed advisory board to have ongoing oversight powers after the Emergency Manager leaves?

To what extent do you support or oppose allowing an Emergency Manager to recommend (with approval of the State) the sale, transfer, or lease of the local jurisdiction's assets?

To what extent do you support or oppose allowing an Emergency Manager to set aside decision-making powers of local elected officials?

To what extent do you support or oppose allowing an Emergency Manager to reject, modify, or terminate collective bargaining agreements?

To what extent do you support or oppose allowing local units in a financial emergency the choice between a consent agreement, Emergency Manager, mediation (e.g., with creditors), or bankruptcy proceedings?

While any particular jurisdiction in fiscal distress faces unique challenges, in general, how important—if at all—do you think local government decisions to provide generous retiree pensions/benefits and/or decisions to underfund retiree obligations are as a factor in contributing to local government fiscal distress in Michigan?

While any particular jurisdiction in fiscal distress faces unique challenges, in general, how important—if at all—do you think local government corruption and/or mismanagement is as a factor in contributing to local government fiscal distress in Michigan?

To what extent do you feel your jurisdiction offers opportunities to citizens for engagement with your jurisdiction in its policymaking and/or operations?

To what extent do you agree or disagree that your jurisdiction’s decision-making is transparent to your citizens?

To what extent do you agree or disagree that citizens tend to only be engaged on issues that affect them directly and not on issues affecting the community overall?

To what extent do you agree or disagree that your jurisdiction reaches out to groups that typically might not engage in our policymaking processes (e.g., low-income or racially diverse populations)?

To what extent do you agree or disagree that most citizens aren't willing to take the time to become well-informed on issues facing the jurisdiction?

To what extent do you agree or disagree that citizens in your jurisdiction want access to information about the government's finances and operations?

To what extent do you agree or disagree that most citizens you hear from are more interested in complaining than in finding solutions?

To what extent do you agree or disagree that some of your best engagement with citizens happens informally around the community (such as at the grocery store or in a restaurant, etc.)?

To what extent do you agree or disagree that you make opportunities for engagement available, but your citizens rarely take advantage of them?

Has your jurisdiction taken or is it planning to take any of the following actions to support local businesses in response to COVID-19? (check all that apply)

b. No actions taken or planned

How would you describe current levels of citizen engagement with your jurisdiction? Overall, would you say citizens in your jurisdiction are…

Some believe that more proactive monitoring of local government finances by the State could help avoid local fiscal emergencies through earlier detection and intervention. Others believe this may be unnecessary or even counterproductive. To what extent would you support or oppose more proactive State monitoring of finances for all local governments in Michigan?

To what extent would you support or oppose changing the Emergency Manager Law by making other changes?

To what extent would you support or oppose changing the Emergency Manager Law by adding state-level ombudsperson oversight for citizens and local officials to appeal any Emergency Manager decision?

To what extent would you support or oppose changing the Emergency Manager Law by requiring Emergency Managers to consider citizen input before making decisions?

To what extent would you support or oppose changing the Emergency Manager Law by requiring Emergency Managers to consider local elected official input before making decisions?

To what extent would you support or oppose changing the Emergency Manager Law by requiring Emergency Managers to analyze impact on disadvantaged groups when making decisions?