Thomas Ivacko

Showing 31 - 60 of 93 results

News

Michigan local government officials report improved fiscal health after a year of COVID-19, but not to pre-pandemic levels

Dec 16, 2021

Michigan’s local governments report improvement on many fiscal health measures after a year of struggles with the COVID-19 pandemic, but for much of the state the situation has stayed the same or continues to decline, according to a new Michigan...

More than half of Michigan local governments report personnel harassed, abused for doing their jobs

News

CLOSUP and Ivacko applauded for partnering with city of Flint

Dec 8, 2021

News outlets are applauding Tom Ivacko and the Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy's announcement about a project with the city of Flint that will examine whether a new fiscal reporting mechanism can help create transparency in local fiscal...

Ivacko on federal infrastructure dollars in Michigan

News

University of Michigan and the City of Flint partner on new fiscal reporting pilot program for transparency, better governance

Dec 1, 2021

The water crisis in Flint and the bankruptcy in Detroit were separate events that had a common theme -- they had been caused in part by fiscal challenges decades in the making. Avoiding similar tragedies in the future could be tied to greater...

A 20-year review of Flint finances shows consequences of lack of investment

News

Michigan local officials’ assessments of American democracy at the state and federal levels decline sharply

Nov 29, 2021

A survey of Michigan’s local government leaders shows a sharp degradation in trust in the functioning of democracy at the state and federal levels, echoing trends seen across the country. The Spring 2021 Michigan Public Policy Survey (MPPS),...

Michigan local officials’ assessments of American democracy at the state and federal levels decline sharply

News

U-M expert on redistricting: The road back and ahead

Nov 16, 2021

The Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (MICRC) is nearing the end of its work to draft new maps in an effort to end partisan gerrymandering. The mission was straightforward—use an independent commission instead of the state...

The Next Big Thing: Redistricting In Michigan And The Role Of Communities Of Interest

News

Off the field, University of Michigan and Michigan State University work together on the big issues

Oct 28, 2021

When Michigan’s Independent Citizens’ Redistricting Commission (MICRC) held a public hearing recently in Grand Rapids, two students were assisting attendees with submitting citizen comments and suggestions for the Commission’s consideration. Working...

Michigan State-Michigan collaboration to measure Partisan Advantage in redistricting

Publication

Michigan local government leaders report lingering impacts from COVID-19 pandemic, improvements overall from the start of the crisis

Oct 27, 2021

Local leaders from across the state have reported lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new report, and worsening outlooks for how much longer some of those impacts will last. While the numbers of local communities reporting on...

Publication

Michigan local economies still struggling with the pandemic effects

Sep 29, 2021

Michigan's local economies are still struggling with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic but at a much lower rate than at the start of the crisis in spring 2020, according to a University of Michigan statewide survey of local government...

Michigan local economies still struggling with the pandemic effects

News

Ivacko: Challenges abound as leaders assemble for Mackinac Policy Conference

Sep 20, 2021

Many of Michigan's business, political and academic movers and shakers are gathering this week for the annual Mackinac Policy Conference after the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of last year's event. While the number of people...

Ivacko: Challenges abound as leaders assemble for Mackinac Policy Conference

News

Most Michigan local leaders express confidence in safety, efficacy of COVID vaccines, MPPS shows

Aug 11, 2021

Most Michigan local government officials have been confident in the safety and efficacy of available COVID-19 vaccines, yet leaders' views on vaccine safety are highly correlated with partisanship, according to the spring 2021 wave of the Michigan...

Most Michigan local leaders express confidence in safety, efficacy of COVID vaccines, MPPS shows

In the Media

Former justice discourages redistricting commission from using UM guidance

Jun 28, 2021 Detroit News

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News

CLOSUP to help expand Michigan redistricting resources in partnership with MSU’s IPPSR

May 24, 2021

Michigan State University’s Institute for Public Policy and Social Research (IPPSR) and the Ford School’s Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP) are collaborating to educate and assist Michigan’s Independent Citizens Redistricting...

In the Media

Late census data makes redistricting process complex, says Ivacko

Feb 18, 2021 Bridge Michigan

Commenting on the announcement that census data will be delivered up to six months late, Ivacko told Bridge Michigan, “The commission’s plate is already extra full because this is their first time. They’re building the plane as they're flying it,...

In the Media

Absent intervention, Ivacko expects Michigan redistricting commission will hear mostly from well-funded lobbyists

Feb 8, 2021 Detroit News

"Absent some kind of other intervention, it's most likely that commissioners will hear from folks who are well-funded with lobbyists," Ivacko said. Read the full Detroit News article on U-M's work to clarify the meaning of 'communities of interest'...

In the Media

Ivacko: Spreading the word about Communities of Interest a challenge for redistricting commission

Feb 3, 2021 Lansing State Journal

Communities of interest "now have a very high priority to be kept whole, to not be cracked or split across different districts," Ivacko told the Lansing State Journal. "That's also going to significantly increase the challenge, I think, for the...

In the Media

Late Census data will make redistricting process even more fraught, says Ivacko

Jan 31, 2021 Lansing State Journal

"It's going to be a very challenging process this year, and certainly the late Census data will be a part of that," Ivacko told the Lansing State Journal. "Getting the 2020 Census data is going to be absolutely key for them to begin drawing versions...

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...

COVID-19 Fiscal Strategy and Resource Guides for Local Governments produced by CLOSUP and partners

News

Trust in government in a time of questioning: local governance leads the way

Dec 17, 2020

In a time of growing suspicion about the role of government at the state and national level, a good news story emerges when looking at local governance in Michigan. The conclusion of a new compendium study, The Functioning of Democracy: Insights...

Challenges continue for state-local relations, according to Michigan local government leaders

In the Media

Ivacko comments on Michigan's tight Senate race in the WSJ

Oct 30, 2020 Wall Street Journal

“Going into this election season, he was not particularly well-known,” said Tom Ivacko, referring to Mr. Peters. At the same time, Mr. Ivacko said Mr. James’s 2018 challenge helped him build “some name recognition fairly recently,” he said. He lost...

In the Media