Welcome

Thank you for your participation in the Citizens Research Council's Survey of Local Governments' Financial Actions

Click Here to do the Survey of Cities, Villages, and Townships

Click Here to do the Survey of Counties

Since 2001, Citizens Research Council of Michigan research has been at the forefront of discussions about the need for structural changes in the State of Michigan's finances. CRC analysis has pointed out the danger of state policymakers employing one-time resources, cutting funding to state revenue sharing and universities, and health care and corrections spending growing at unsustainable rates.

Now CRC turns its attention to local government finances. You are being asked to help in a multiyear project intended to facilitate local government's response to financial pressures. This project began in 2005, when the Citizens Research Council of Michigan received major grants from five Michigan foundations to undertake a large study of local government financial conditions, service delivery, and opportunities for intergovernmental cooperation in the provision of those services. This is the final part of a three part effort:

1) Catalog of local services. CRC developed a catalog of governmental services provided by all cities, villages, townships, and counties in 25 Michigan counties. The key to the usefulness of the catalog was a categorization of the ways in which services are provided (e. g., direct provision, purchased from another unit, joint authority, etc.).

2) Statutory authority for interlocal cooperation. CRC prepared an outline of Michigan statutes that authorize local units to enter into interlocal agreements to provide services on a cooperative basis and analyzed these statutes to determine where changes could help to facilitate greater collaboration.

3) Sources of local government fiscal pressure. In this final stage, CRC will attempt to document the financial condition of cities, villages, townships, and counties in Michigan relative to their condition immediately prior to the onset of Michigan's most recent economic challenges.

The enclosed survey is designed to investigate how local governments have dealt with the economic challenges that have confronted Michigan since 2001. The data you provide will allow us to assess the effect that major issues have had on local government finances, such as revenue sharing cuts, property tax revenue changes, legacy costs, the rising cost of health care coverage for current and past employees, and the funding pressures of public safety.

I hope you will assist us in the completion of this project. We would like to hear back from you by November 10, 2008. If you have any questions or concerns, please call either me at (734) 542-8001 or elupher@crcmich.org.

Yours truly,