Some government authorities representing Michigan counties or towns are allowed to raise taxes or issue debt even when their voting members do not equally represent the residents of that region.
Eric Lupher
A guest author for Bridge Magazine.
Eric Lupher is president of the Citizens Research Council of Michigan, a nonprofit public affairs research organization
Posted inGuest Commentary
Despite economic growth, Michigan budget to face steep challenges
A new report shows over $2 billion in potential General Fund revenue will be diverted or dedicated to other promised programs by 2023. Add an economy that will inevitably cool, and Michigan will soon be facing serious budget challenges.
Posted inGuest Commentary
Want to improve city finances? Give counties more to do.
Taking a more regional approach to local government would improve the efficiency and economics of service delivery. Counties are in a better position to drive technology, elections, tax assessments and other back office functions.
Posted inGuest Commentary
Taking a hammer, not a scalpel, to how Michigan cities are funded
Small policy changes won’t change the downward spiral of local governments across Michigan. Here are a few alternatives.
Posted inGuest Commentary
A call for Michigan redistricting reform
A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision shows that citizens, not politicians, have the ultimate power to demand fair legislative boundaries.
Posted inGuest Commentary
More and more schools falling into budget squeeze
(courtesy photo/used under Creative Commons license) State Superintendent Mike Flanagan delivered troubling news to a legislative panel last week: –One in 10 traditional K-12 school districts in Michigan (55 of 549) are operating in a budget deficit. –The number of deficit districts has doubled since 2008, when only 27 were in the hole. Two charts […]
Posted inGuest Commentary
Three reasons why you should want to know your hometown’s fiscal score
Eric Lupher is director of local affairs for the Citizens Research Council of Michgan, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research group. Those of us who have been around for a while remember the opening of each “M*A*S*H” episode, with the doctors and nurses rushing to the incoming helicopters to retrieve and assess the newly injured soldiers. In […]