Local government

CLOSUP Updates

New MPPS Policy Brief: Many Michigan local governments struggle to find residents willing to run for office or serve on boards

Apr 8, 2026

A new MPPS policy brief presents the opinions of Michigan's local government leaders on resident engagement in their communities. One significant area of concern is resident representation on local elected and appointed boards.

CLOSUP Updates

Report: more localities implementing policies to improve relationships between communities and police

Jun 2, 2025 State Affairs

Michigan communities have increasingly adopted techniques to improve relations between their residents and local police, a study from the University of Michigan’s Center for Local, State and Urban Policy found, but have seen less movement on making t...

CLOSUP Updates

Energy Experts Highlight Broader Implications

May 1, 2025 Thumbwind.com

Industry analysts note that the repeal could have significant ripple effects. Sarah Mills, senior research specialist at the University of Michigan’s Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy, pointed out in a recent report that Michigan’s clean ener...

News

Most Michigan law enforcement officials back some use of mental health workers, others in 911 response

Feb 26, 2025

Most of Michigan’s county sheriffs and local police chiefs support some type of alternative or hybrid approach for responding to 911 calls beyond traditional law enforcement officers. However, a majority of them believe it would be difficult to imple...

Most Michigan law enforcement officials back some use of mental health workers, others in 911 response

CLOSUP Updates

New MPPS Report: Michigan local leaders’ views on policing co-response and alternative response teams

Feb 26, 2025

A new MPPS report presents presents the opinions of Michigan’s local government leaders, local chiefs of police, and county sheriffs on alternative approaches to traditional policing that might involve other professionals, such as mental health profe...

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CLOSUP Updates

New MPPS Report: Half of Michigan local law enforcement agencies say they are underfunded, while most local governments are satisfied with their appropriations

Jan 23, 2025

A new MPPS report presents the views of Michigan’s local government leaders, local chiefs of police, county sheriffs, and county prosecutors regarding funding for law enforcement agencies, including assessments of whether sheriff’s offices and police...

In the Media

Majority of U.P. local officials agree: Political partisanship is bad for communities

Nov 7, 2024 Read more

MARQUETTE — The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is a fairly secluded place. It’s almost like its own world, often feeling detached from the rest of the country and even from the Lower Peninsula of the same state. However, U.P. local officials have someth...

CLOSUP Updates

Local leaders in Michigan sound alarms over hiring, keeping law enforcement officers

Sep 17, 2024 My Science

Concerns about hiring and keeping law enforcement officers have skyrocketed among local government officials in Michigan in the past decade. Local law enforcement officials themselves are even more pessimistic about recruitment and retention within t...

MPPS in the news

Local leaders in Michigan sound alarms over hiring, keeping law enforcement officers

Sep 17, 2024 Michigan News

MPPS in the news

Tough job, fewer applicants: Michigan struggles to hire police, survey finds

Sep 17, 2024 Bridge Michigan

Police agencies throughout Michigan are struggling to hire qualified officers, a new study finds, exacerbating an officer shortage that has hit forces nationwide. A University of Michigan study released Tuesday found that 72% report difficult hiring ...

CLOSUP Updates

New MPPS Report: Michigan local governments report increased challenges with law enforcement recruitment and retention

Sep 17, 2024

A new MPPS report presents the views of Michigan’s local government leaders, county sheriffs, local chiefs of police, and county prosecutors regarding recruitment and retention of law enforcement personnel, including police officers, sheriffs’ deputi...

CLOSUP Updates

New MPPS Policy Brief: Michigan local government leaders’ concerns about the health of democracy edge upward, including at local level

Aug 14, 2024

A new MPPS policy brief presents the views of Michigan’s local government leaders on a variety of issues across the state for their assessments of American democracy as a system of government, based on factors like free and fair elections, rule of la...

CLOSUP Updates

New MPPS Report: Michigan local governments’ planning and zoning on energy policy

Jul 17, 2024

A new MPPS report presents the views of Michigan’s local government leaders on a variety of energy issues, including whether energy issues are relevant to their local government, whether their jurisdiction has energy policies or renewable energy goal...

In the Media

Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed delivers MLK Day lecture at the Ford School

Jan 17, 2024 The Michigan Daily

The Ford School of Public Policy and Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy hosted Steven Reed, mayor of Montgomery, Alabama, to speak on his leadership and commitment to public service for the University of Michigan’s annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luthe...

MPPS in the news

U.P. local government leaders identify challenges in getting state and federal grants

Dec 7, 2023 Rural Insights

Over the past few years, federal legislation such as the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) has made available unprecedented levels of funding for local government projects and investments.

In the Media

Greece, New York: Tough politics define reputation for Rochester town

Sep 5, 2023 Democrat and Chronicle

A new Facebook group emerged this summer, promising to expose alleged corruption in Monroe County's largest suburb.

MPPS in the news

Conservative Michigan lawyer uses extremism, God to find policy wins, critics say

Jul 7, 2023 Detroit Free Press

Amid a chaotic time for Michigan Republicans, a small group of lawyers and activists are beckoning conservatives back to their roots: local control and God. Lawyers Dave Kallman, William Wagner and several colleagues think they might have a solution...

In the Media

Ivacko reveals factors behind threats to local officials

Mar 24, 2023 Wisconsin Public Radio

Tom Ivacko, Wisconsin Public Radio: "There's been a very concerted, ongoing effort with very strong media behind it to convince people that there are enemies in the public sector, undercutting their own democracy and working against the interests of ...

Meijer's impeachment vote makes it "significantly more challenging" for Republican Senate nomination - Ivacko

News

Michigan local government officials: public employee workforce wages increasing, room for improvement

Jan 24, 2023

Michigan’s local governments report a long trend of increasing employee pay, but a third of local leaders say wages are still too low. The issue is relevant for their finances as 92% of Michigan local governments report having some type of paid emplo...

Michigan local government officials: public employee workforce wages increasing, room for improvement

State & Hill

Think local: CLOSUP checks in with local government officials

Dec 19, 2022

Democracy in the United States and across the globe has been in decline for years, as documented with rigorous tracking methodologies. Freedom House has tracked declines in civil liberties and political rights in the U.S., for example. And the Democr...

Building tech to support small towns: U-M team develops digital tool for SEC compliance

News

Ivacko provides advice to local officials worried about election tampering

Oct 9, 2022 Michigan Advance

With less than a month until the 2022 election, local officials are worried about election fraud conspiracists sabotaging the election. Tom Ivacko, executive director of the Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy, gave advice to concerned official...

Tom Ivacko: Michigan - Political Redistricting

MPPS in the news

Nearly Half Of Top Local Officials Have Been Harassed, Survey Finds

Sep 12, 2022 Gongwer.com (subscription required)

Nearly half of top officials in local government across the state reported harassment during the last few years, a survey conducted by the University of Michigan's Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy shows.

MPPS in the news

Almost half of Michigan local officials report harassment and abuse, survey finds

Sep 8, 2022 Hillsdale Daily News

Delta Township Clerk Mary Clark thought it'd be a good idea to invite her community to have a conversation about how elections work.

MPPS in the news

Nearly half of top local Michigan officials say they've been harassed, UM survey says

Sep 8, 2022 The Detroit News

Nearly half of top officials in local governments across Michigan have reported being harassed in recent years, according to a survey by the University of Michigan released Thursday.

MPPS in the news

More than half of Michigan local governments report that employees have been harassed and abused for doing their job

Sep 8, 2022 localtoday.news

According to a statewide survey conducted by the University of Michigan, the majority of Michigan local governments experience some form of harassment or other abuse from the public.

MPPS in the news

UM survey: State's local economies still struggling with COVID impacts

Sep 29, 2021 The Detroit News

Local governments in Michigan continue to struggle with the impacts of COVID-19 but at a lower rate than when the pandemic started in the spring of last year, according to a University of Michigan survey released Wednesday.

In the Media

Michigan surpasses 1 million confirmed COVID-19 cases since start of pandemic

Sep 22, 2021 Detroit Free Press

It's confirmed: More than one million Michiganders have been diagnosed with COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic last year, according to state health department data.

In the Media

Leiser and Ivacko opinion: The new COVID relief bill can be a rebirth for Michigan communities

Mar 10, 2021 Bridge Michigan

In a Bridge Michigan op-ed, Leiser and Ivacko call for COVID relief to foster greater cooperation, trust in government built at the local level. "Across the country, nearly three quarters of U.S. adults say they have a "great deal" or a "fair amou...

Leiser and Ivacko opinion: The new COVID relief bill can be a rebirth for Michigan communities

Publication

Policy memo: Leiser and Ivacko on "State and local governments as partners in our national recovery"

Jan 25, 2021

As the Biden administration embarks on its first hundred days, experts from the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy have produced a series of policy briefs on key issues. Download the PDF of this brief or read the web-formatted version below. ...

In the Media

How MSU is helping support Michigan during the pandemic

Oct 19, 2020 Crain's Detroit Business