Policy Topics

Public management

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Fiscal Strategy Memos

Fiscal Strategies: What Does the CARES Act Mean for Local Governments in Michigan?

May 1, 2020

Samantha Zinnes, Michigan State University Extension Center for Local Government Finance and Policy

This memo is included in the Local Government COVID-19 Fiscal Strategy and Resource...

Fiscal Strategy Memos

Fiscal Strategies: Planning for Reduced Operating Expenses

May 1, 2020

Eric Walcott, Michigan State University Extension, Shu Wang, Michigan State University

This memo is included in the Local Government COVID-19 Fiscal Strategy and Resource...

Fiscal Strategy Memos

Fiscal Strategies: How to Enhance Liquidity During a Crisis

May 1, 2020

Shu Wang, Michigan State University, Eric Walcott, Michigan State University Extension

This memo is included in the Local Government COVID-19 Fiscal Strategy and Resource...

Fiscal Strategy Memos

Fiscal Strategies: Will Property Taxes Be Immune to the Effects of COVID-19?

May 1, 2020

Jill Roof, Citizens Research Council of Michigan

This memo is included in the Local Government COVID-19 Fiscal Strategy and Resource...

Student Working Papers

Measuring the Effects and Recovery of the 2008 Great Recession in Michigan Local Governments

April 1, 2020

Natasha Robertson

Nationally, the Great Recession officially ended in 2009, with employment and market conditions on a steady incline to recover from the economic downturn. However, many nationwide improvements of the economy were not truly seen until 2015, as the...

MPPS

Michigan Public Policy Survey - Spring 2019 County-wide Fiscal Health Fact Sheets

February 3, 2020

The Spring 2019 County-wide Fiscal Health Fact Sheets are from the Michigan Public Policy Survey (MPPS), an ongoing survey of the top elected and appointed officials in every unit of general purpose local government across the state. The MPPS is...

MPPS

Mixed signals continue for Michigan local governments' fiscal health, while future outlooks worsen

December 1, 2019

This report presents Michigan local government leaders’ assessments of their jurisdictions’ fiscal conditions and the actions they plan to take in the coming year given their financial situations. The findings are based on responses from 10...

Working Papers

Local Government Fiscal Health: Comparing Self-Assessments to Conventional Measures

October 1, 2019

Stephanie Leiser, Sarah Mills

Municipal fiscal condition is typically assessed using objective financial indicators, but little is understood about how local officials subjectively evaluate their own fiscal health. Using both qualitative and quantitative approaches to analyze...

MPPS

Michigan local officials' views on the next recession: timing, concerns, and actions taken

October 1, 2019

This report presents the assessments of Michigan’s local government leaders regarding the next recession, including its expected timing and impacts, and whether their jurisdictions have taken action to prepare for it. These findings are based on...

MPPS

Michigan Public Policy Survey - Spring 2018 County-wide Fiscal Health Fact Sheets

December 4, 2018

The Spring 2018 County-wide Fiscal Health Fact Sheets are from the Michigan Public Policy Survey (MPPS), an ongoing survey of the top elected and appointed officials in every unit of general purpose local government across the state. The MPPS is...

MPPS

Despite sustained economic growth, Michigan local government fiscal health still lags

November 1, 2018

MPPS

Michigan local government officials report complex mix of improvement and decline in fiscal health, but with overall trend moving slowly upward

October 1, 2017

Student Working Papers

Regional Tax Authority in the State of Michigan

April 1, 2017

Karen Seo

Michigan, like many other states, holds final authority over tax policy in the state. In Michigan, the authority to levy local taxes is granted by the State. The State defines a set of regulations and restrictions that local municipalities must...

Student Working Papers

Funding Local Governments in Michigan

April 1, 2017

Carson Smith

The state of Michigan faces a unique set of issues in its municipal finance system. Since Michigan’s “Lost Decade,” local governments have seen state obligations to provide revenue go unmet. This decrease in funding has exacerbated issues faced by...

Student Working Papers

Property Tax Rates in Detroit: A Michigan Public Policy Recommendation

April 1, 2017

Ronald Everett

On September 9th, 2016, the U.S. Census Bureau released a report outlining state government tax collection by category.1 Michigan ranked top ten out of all fifty states in the category of property tax rates. In addition, Michigan’s “lost decade” has...

MPPS

Local leaders more likely to support than oppose Michigan’s Emergency Manager law, but strongly favor reforms

February 1, 2017

This report presents the opinions of Michigan’s local government leaders regarding the state’s Emergency Manager law, officially known as Michigan’s Local Financial Stability and Choice Act (P.A. 436 of 2012). This law is targeted at local...

MPPS

Michigan local leaders say property tax appeals are common, disagree with dark stores assessing

October 1, 2016

The issue of property tax appeals has been increasingly important in Michigan recently as “big box” stores (e.g. Lowe’s, Costco, etc.) have been able to significantly decrease their taxes by arguing property assessments should be based on the value...

MPPS

Local officials say Michigan’s system of funding local government is broken, and seek State action to fix it

September 1, 2016

This report presents views of Michigan’s local government leaders regarding the state’s system of funding local government, whether it needs to be reformed, and what reforms they prefer. It also includes their preferences for raising additional...

MPPS

Responding to budget surplus vs. deficit: the preferences of Michigan’s local leaders and citizens

December 1, 2015

This report presents the opinions of Michigan’s local government leaders and Michigan citizens on the question of policy preferences when local governments face either budget deficits or budget surpluses. These findings are based on statewide...

MPPS

Michigan's local leaders concerned about retiree health care costs and their governments' ability to meet future obligations

October 1, 2015

This report presents the opinions of Michigan’s local government leaders regarding the retiree health care benefits—typically referred to as other post-employment benefits (OPEB)—that their local governments provide to employees, retirees, and/or...

MPPS

Fiscal health rated relatively good for most jurisdictions, but improvements slow and decline continues for many

September 1, 2015

MPPS

Despite increasingly formal financial management, relatively few Michigan local governments have adopted recommended policies

December 1, 2014

This report presents findings on the presence and use of formal financial planning and management policies in Michigan local jurisdictions, based on statewide surveys of local government leaders in the Spring 2014 wave of the Michigan Public Policy...

MPPS

Most Michigan local officials are satisfied with their privatized services, but few seek to expand further

November 1, 2014

This report presents Michigan local government leaders’ assessments of privatizing—or contracting out—public services or government operations in their jurisdictions. These findings are based on statewide surveys of local government leaders in the...

MPPS

Michigan local governments finally pass fiscal health tipping point overall, but one in four still report decline

October 1, 2014

This report presents Michigan local government leaders’ assessments of their jurisdictions’ fiscal conditions and the actions they are taking in response to ongoing and widespread fiscal challenges. The findings are based on responses from six...

MPPS

The impact of tax-exempt properties on Michigan local governments

March 1, 2014

Property tax revenues are one of the most important sources of funding for local governments in Michigan, but jurisdictions’ revenues are constrained in part because most have at least some properties that are exempt from taxes. This report presents...

MPPS

Michigan's local leaders generally support Detroit bankruptcy filing despite some concerns

February 1, 2014

This report presents Michigan local government leaders’ opinions regarding issues surrounding municipal bankruptcies in general, as well as the city of Detroit’s bankruptcy specifically. The findings in this report are based on a statewide survey of...

MPPS

Michigan local government fiscal health continues gradual improvement, but smallest jurisdictions lagging

September 1, 2013

MPPS

Local leaders support eliminating Michigan’s Personal Property Tax if funds are replaced, but distrust state follow-through

November 1, 2012

As state lawmakers consider reform and partial elimination of Michigan’s Personal Property Tax (PPT), this report presents local government leaders’ assessments of the PPT and its impact on their jurisdictions, as well as their views on potential...

MPPS

Fiscal stress continues for hundreds of Michigan jurisdictions, but conditions trend in positive direction overall

September 1, 2012

Although many jurisdictions across the state continue to struggle with fiscal stress, the Spring 2012 MPPS finds local leaders' assessments of fiscal health are at their most optimistic levels overall since the MPPS began tracking these issues in...

MPPS

Data-driven decision-making in Michigan local government

June 1, 2012

The local government fiscal crisis—driven largely by state revenue sharing cuts, falling tax revenues, and rising costs to provide services—has pushed jurisdictions in Michigan to search for operational efficiencies and cost savings. Performance...