Thomas Ivacko

Showing 31 - 60 of 71 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...

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...

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...

Photo of a large metal arch with a sign reading "Flint: Vehicle city" at a gateway to Flint, Michigan

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),...

A composite image, comprising a photo of the US capitol dome, upside down at an angle, in front of a red textured background

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...

A blue map of Michigan layered over a blue neighborhood map

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...

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...

Two post-it notes on a business' front door, reading "Sorry we're closed" and "COVID-19"

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

In the Media

Water concerns resonate with Michigan voters, but federal support unlikely, says Ivacko

Nov 18, 2020 Bridge Michigan

“It’s such an immediate threat,” Ivacko said. “Everybody can easily imagine that they’ll wake up the next day and find out that their water is poisoned.... [but] we should not be looking to Washington to solve our problems in Michigan anytime...

News

The presidential transition and the first hundred days of the Biden administration - Experts advisory

Nov 11, 2020

Contact: Daniel Rivkin, [email protected], +1-917-817-6323 ANN ARBOR — Experts at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan are available to discuss the 2020 vote, the presidential transition process, and the policy...

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...

News

Michigan Votes - Ford School faculty experts available

Oct 29, 2020

Contact: Daniel Rivkin, [email protected], +1-917-817-6323 Michigan Votes! ANN ARBOR — Experts at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan are available to discuss the election process and results in Michigan...

Side by side photos of Donald Trump and Joe Biden

News

98% of Michigan local officials are confident of accurate 2020 voting administration

Oct 5, 2020

Confidence in running accurate elections among Michigan local government leaders remains very high, despite challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and an expected high voter turnout, according to a survey released October 5 by the the Center for...

News

Michigan local government leaders back expanded absentee voting, ballot reforms

Jul 28, 2020

Amid the national debate over the safety and efficacy of absentee voting, Michigan can offer an example of how election reforms will play out in the 2020 election. And the battleground state's local officials have an overall positive outlook...

News

Local leaders' mixed messages and fading outlook in annual Michigan Public Policy Survey

Jul 20, 2020

Michigan local government officials’ attitudes about the direction of the state, and the performances of the governor and the legislature have improved from last year, but remain more negative than positive. The 2020 Michigan Public Policy Survey...

CLOSUP finds Michigan local government leaders report widespread crisis-level impacts from COVID-19 pandemic

Jun 24, 2020

Leaders across Michigan have reported problems supporting their communities in the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic—with many saying they failed to get needed health or financial help in one of the hardest-hit states, according to a survey by...

News

As COVID-19 Fiscal Strategy and Resource Guides expand, Ford School research centers launch a new program to support local governments and nonprofits

Jun 11, 2020

The guides have been helping local governments through the impacts COVID-19 will have on budgets and operations. The new COVID-19 Consulting Corps will provide individualized research and data support. Ann Arbor, MI, June 11, 2020 – The...

News

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

May 11, 2020

The COVID-19 crisis is having a dramatic impact on Michigan's local governments, and the fiscal implications — including emergency spending, revenue losses, and budget cuts — are already being felt. The Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy...

News

CLOSUP helps local governments navigate fiscal challenges during global pandemic

Apr 23, 2020

New research from the Center for Local State and Urban Policy (CLOSUP)’s Michigan Public Policy Survey (MPPS) measures the impact that the COVID-19 crisis will have on local fiscal health. CLOSUP anticipates local governments will be...

People sharing a public space with greenery, tables, umbrellas, and open space

News

Coronavirus response suffers when local government is starved

Mar 20, 2020

Local governments are on the front lines of the response to the coronavirus crisis. Their actions will ultimately shape how well the U.S. can survive COVID-19 and its economic aftermath, according to an opinion contribution in The Hill written by...

CLOSUP presents to lawmakers at Wolverine Caucus

Feb 28, 2020

Tom Ivacko and Debra Horner from CLOSUP presented findings from the Michigan Public Policy Survey at a Wolverine Caucus presentation on February 25. “Michigan is experiencing its longest–ever period of sustained economic growth, but because of a web...