Wolverine Caucus: How We Fund Local Government: Michigan's Local Leaders See Need For Reform

Over the last decade, local government in Michigan has experienced widespread contraction. Driven by falling revenues and rising costs, local jurisdictions have been forced to adjust to a "new normal" by right-sizing themselves to live within reduced means. The Michigan Public Policy Survey (MPPS), conducted by the Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP) at the University of Michigan's Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, has tracked the fiscal challenges facing Michigan's local governments over the last 4 years, and how they've been responding. Recently, the MPPS asked local officials to look toward the future and evaluate the status of Michigan's current system for funding local governments. Please join us for an engaging and informative discussion as Dr. Debra Horner and CLOSUP Administrator Tom Ivacko present the views of Michigan's local government leaders and their perspectives on the future.