A $18B debt is coming due, and it’s haunting small town Michigan
Once a mining community, Iron Mountain is probably more famous now as proud home town to Michigan State University men’s basketball coach Tom Izzo.
But this Upper Peninsula city is also notable these days for something no one brags about: It’s one of dozens of small rural Michigan communities and public bodies that face mountains of unfunded public pension and retirement health care debt.
With $48 million in unfunded legacy debt, this city of 7,400 people owes nearly $1.5 million a year in retirement health care alone. That sucked nearly $1 million from its 2017-18 $6.8 million general fund budget, atop $400,000 the city siphoned from utility, street and motor vehicle and equipment funds to help fund retiree health care.
Iron Mountain spends another $650,00 a year on pensions for retired non-public safety workers, in addition to 3.3 mills a year in property tax homeowners shell out for police and fire pensions.
All that leaves less money for everything that makes a city livable, from police and fire protection to parks and recreation and roads.
Related: Will Michigan cities keep vow to cut legacy debt? New law lacks teeth
Opinion: Why does ‘fixing’ Michigan pensions stick it to workers?
Retiree pension, health care debts loom
A number of communities in Michigan are facing growing problems with debts to retirees and current employees. A number of the pension and retiree health care funds are woefully underfunded, putting pressure on present-day budgets. Per capita refers to unfunded liability owed for every person in communities where the debt is underfunded. You can search by community name or county using the search box.
Community/ Group covered/ Debt type | Unfunded liability | Funded ratio (percent) | Underfunded? | Per capita |
---|---|---|---|---|
All employees Pension | Alcona County $4,683,594 | 68.4 | No | |
All employees Pension | Alger County $4,127,492 | 67.5 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Alger County $3,958,469 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Munising $3,323,164 | 61.9 | No | |
All employees Pension | Allegan $1,735,604 | 68.6 | No | |
All employees Pension | Allegan County $9,918,045 | 84.4 | No | |
All employees Pension | Douglas $710,282 | 80 | No | |
All employees Pension | Manlius Township $68,105 | 87.8 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Plainwell $957,424 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Saugatuck $341,047 | 81.6 | No | |
All employees Pension | Saugatuck Township $665,372 | 30.9 | No | |
All employees Pension | Wayland $2,392,730 | 68.6 | No | |
All employees Pension | Alpena $7,908,557 | 76.5 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Alpena $4,350,343 | 21.2 | No | |
All employees Pension | Alpena County $7,800,070 | 62.9 | No | |
All employees Pension | Antrim County $7,540,034 | 73.6 | No | |
All employees Pension | Antrim County $4,387,909 | 73.8 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Antrim County $464,373 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Central Lake $14,413 | 92.8 | No | |
All employees Pension | Elk Rapids $656,891 | 72.4 | No | |
All employees Pension | Arenac County $3,520,193 | 72.6 | No | |
All employees Pension | Au Gres $721,625 | 68 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Au Gres $254,000 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Standish $1,049,863 | 60.8 | No | |
All employees Pension | Sterling $-96,018 | 146 | No | |
All employees Pension | Baraga $2,190,087 | 40.8 | Yes | $1,106 |
All employees Pension | Baraga County $2,481,383 | 64.9 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Baraga County $1,123,804 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | L'anse $3,569,792 | 46.4 | Yes | $1,880 |
All employees Pension | Barry County $11,396,928 | 78 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Barry County $112,488 | 92.2 | No | |
All employees Pension | Hastings $7,986,043 | 50 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Hastings $9,800,802 | 2.2 | Yes | $1,340 |
All employees Pension | Middleville $427,368 | 77.6 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Middleville $651,714 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Nashville $-22,785 | 105.6 | No | |
All employees Pension | Auburn $984,185 | 51.3 | No | |
All employees Pension | Bay City $23,858,665 | 67.4 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Bay City $115,290,656 | 12.9 | Yes | $3,474 |
Police and fire Pension | Bay City $18,194,963 | 75 | No | |
All employees Pension | Bay County $-17,790,986 | 107.3 | No | |
Medical care facility Health-care | Bay County $39,629,000 | 17.8 | Yes | $380 |
Voluntary employees' Health-care | Bay County $55,531,000 | 18.2 | Yes | $533 |
All employees Pension | Essexville $2,320,550 | 66 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Essexville $3,758,218 | 0 | Yes | $1,130 |
All employees Health-care | Hampton Township $4,199,278 | 1.8 | Yes | $443 |
All employees Pension | Pinconning $1,035,474 | 55.4 | No | |
All employees Pension | Frankfort $1,754,699 | 49.8 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Frankfort $545,675 | 16.9 | No | |
All employees Pension | Benton Charter Township $8,299,678 | 69.3 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Benton Charter Township $1,553,212 | 49.6 | No | |
All employees Pension | Benton Harbor $16,482,433 | 37.6 | Yes | $1,672 |
All employees Pension | Berrien County $91,437,259 | 62.8 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Berrien County $35,406,863 | 49.7 | No | |
All employees Pension | Berrien Springs $113,845 | 92.8 | No | |
All employees Pension | Bridgman $541,399 | 70.6 | No | |
All employees Pension | Buchanan $-42,167 | 100.6 | No | |
All employees Pension | Chikaming Township $807,332 | 66.1 | No | |
All employees Pension | Coloma $155,183 | 83.3 | No | |
All employees Pension | Coloma Charter Township $909,489 | 60.9 | No | |
All employees Pension | Eau Claire $351,476 | 34.2 | No | |
All employees Pension | Grand Beach $14,011 | 95.9 | No | |
All employees Pension | New Buffalo $600,972 | 76.6 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Niles $4,469,619 | 0 | No | |
Retirement Plan A Pension | Niles $3,994,719 | 81.6 | No | |
Retirement Plan B Pension | Niles $6,139,855 | 70 | No | |
All employees Pension | Niles Charter Township $2,462,688 | 61.4 | No | |
All employees Pension | Oronoko Charter Township $713,925 | 69.3 | No | |
All employees Pension | St Joseph $-1,019,234 | 101.6 | No | |
All employees Health-care | St Joseph $2,079,964 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Branch County $4,314,677 | 74.6 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Branch County $879,205 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Bronson $933,060 | 58.2 | No | |
All employees Pension | Coldwater $9,824,737 | 65.5 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Union City $1,657,315 | 0 | Yes | $1,057 |
All employees Pension | Albion $825,847 | 94 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Albion $290,514 | 13.6 | No | |
Public safety officers Pension | Albion $-9,100,280 | 167.7 | No | |
All employees Pension | Battle Creek $60,000,218 | 57.5 | Yes | $1,170 |
All employees Health-care | Battle Creek $70,650,843 | 7.7 | No | |
Police and fire Pension | Battle Creek $38,069,749 | 78.4 | No | |
All employees Pension | Calhoun County $29,801,158 | 63.2 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Calhoun County $10,183,199 | 0 | No | |
Road department Pension | Calhoun County $10,163,117 | 44.4 | No | |
Road department Health-care | Calhoun County $8,872,512 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Emmett Charter Township $1,325,667 | 74.5 | No | |
All employees Pension | Marshall $13,114,357 | 61.8 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Marshall $24,245,441 | 3.1 | Yes | $3,466 |
All employees Pension | Pennfield Charter Township $888,880 | 68 | No | |
All employees Pension | Springfield $3,683,565 | 63.6 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Springfield $675,955 | 36.6 | No | |
All employees Pension | Cass $9,290,667 | 69.5 | No | |
All employees Pension | Dowagiac $10,421,400 | 48.7 | Yes | $1,811 |
All employees Health-care | Dowagiac $219,902 | 65.9 | No | |
All employees Pension | Howard Township $33,055 | 77.2 | No | |
All employees Pension | Boyne City $2,383,672 | 73.2 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Boyne City $460,827 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Charlevoix $5,069,059 | 62 | No | |
All employees Pension | Charlevoix $14,425,947 | 72.2 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Charlevoix $7,249,557 | 29.5 | No | |
All employees Pension | East Jordan $1,699,188 | 65.5 | No | |
All employees Pension | Cheboygan $4,068,388 | 61 | No | |
All employees Pension | Cheboygan $8,494,256 | 69.7 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Cheboygan $991,366 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Mackinaw City $200,590 | 82 | No | |
All employees Pension | Tuscarora Township $763,384 | 66.6 | No | |
All employees Pension | Chippewa $13,673,289 | 68.4 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Chippewa $5,890,036 | 50.2 | No | |
All employees Pension | Detour $299,523 | 37.9 | No | |
All employees Pension | Drummond Island Township $40,235 | 80.4 | No | |
All employees Pension | Sault Ste Marie $9,977,094 | 66.6 | No | |
Police and fire Pension | Sault Ste Marie $14,024,023 | 50.6 | Yes | $1,029 |
All employees Pension | Clare $3,499,691 | 59.5 | No | |
All employees Pension | Clare $7,162,380 | 68.4 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Clare $196,654 | 0 | No | |
Transit Pension | Clare $86,786 | 66.7 | No | |
All employees Pension | Harrison $1,037,007 | 70.3 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Harrison $0 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Bath Charter Township $1,854,074 | 75 | No | |
All employees Pension | Clinton $-630,905 | 101.1 | No | |
All employees Pension | Clinton $-630,905 | 101.1 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Clinton $-1,275,921 | 113.4 | No | |
All employees Pension | Dewitt $2,646,240 | 48.4 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Dewitt $-25,913 | 108.3 | No | |
All employees Pension | Dewitt Charter Township $1,702,033 | 69.7 | No | |
All employees Pension | Fowler $107,334 | 73 | No | |
All employees Pension | St Johns $9,555,450 | 45.7 | Yes | $1,212 |
All employees Pension | Westphalia $163,829 | 72.6 | No | |
All employees Pension | Crawford $108,987 | 99.5 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Crawford $3,345,130 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Grayling $1,726,595 | 56.9 | No | |
All employees Pension | Delta $11,991,594 | 68 | No | |
All employees Pension | Escanaba $16,134,586 | 54.9 | Yes | $1,320 |
Police and fire Pension | Escanaba $5,668,457 | 83.5 | No | |
All employees Pension | Gladstone $7,173,336 | 45.6 | Yes | $1,510 |
All employees Health-care | Gladstone $2,489,098 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Dickinson $13,879,388 | 60.9 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Dickinson $20,761,332 | 13.2 | No | |
All employees Pension | Iron Mountain $7,713,862 | 38.1 | Yes | $1,048 |
All employees Health-care | Iron Mountain $34,106,325 | 0 | Yes | $4,632 |
Police and fire Pension | Iron Mountain $6,115,747 | 63.2 | No | |
All employees Pension | Kingsford $3,121,965 | 62.9 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Kingsford $1,081,040 | 8.9 | No | |
Police and fire Pension | Kingsford $-522,075 | 103 | No | |
All employees Pension | Norway $11,452,601 | 42.2 | Yes | $4,153 |
All employees Health-care | Norway $1,086,134 | 14.3 | No | |
All employees Pension | Charlotte $9,503,936 | 56.3 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Charlotte $3,718,314 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Delta Charter Township $3,212,214 | 77.3 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Delta Charter Township $3,981,492 | 78 | No | |
All employees Pension | Dimondale $205,757 | 75.8 | No | |
All employees Pension | Eaton $68,284,606 | 55.3 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Eaton $42,762,108 | 22 | No | |
Medical care facility Pension | Eaton $1,676,781 | 85.1 | No | |
Medical care facility Health-care | Eaton $1,442,278 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Eaton Rapids $6,006,254 | 58.7 | Yes | $1,156 |
All employees Health-care | Eaton Rapids $10,396,289 | 0 | Yes | $2,001 |
All employees Pension | Grand Ledge $1,367,292 | 57.6 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Grand Ledge $771,725 | 17.7 | No | |
All employees Pension | Potterville $285,922 | 69.8 | No | |
All employees Pension | Emmet $-452,090 | 110.7 | No | |
All employees Pension | Pellston $132,363 | 72.2 | No | |
All employees Pension | Petoskey $4,816,788 | 81.9 | No | |
Library Retiree Health Care Pension | Petoskey $70,375 | 81.9 | No | |
All employees Pension | Burton $30,893,418 | 41.3 | Yes | $1,079 |
All employees Health-care | Burton $10,360,934 | 17.8 | No | |
All employees Pension | Clio $454,499 | 73.9 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Clio $331,295 | 17.1 | No | |
All employees Pension | Davison $6,098,955 | 49.9 | Yes | $1,237 |
All employees Health-care | Davison $19,228,830 | 2.2 | Yes | $3,901 |
Non-union Pension | Davison $147,790 | 88.2 | No | |
All employees Pension | Davison Township $4,046,885 | 71.6 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Davison Township $5,110,638 | 25.4 | No | |
All employees Pension | Fenton $6,666,621 | 60.2 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Fenton $9,106,113 | 0 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Fenton Charter Township $369,778 | 48.8 | No | |
All employees Pension | Flint $345,745,163 | 37 | Yes | $3,585 |
All employees Health-care | Flint $293,607,373 | 0 | Yes | $3,044 |
All employees Pension | Flint Charter Township $12,257,630 | 60.7 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Flint Charter Township $23,995,557 | 0.9 | Yes | $785 |
Fire Pension | Flint Charter Township $2,250,745 | 76.1 | No | |
All employees Pension | Flushing $10,334,315 | 47.9 | Yes | $1,300 |
All employees Health-care | Flushing $11,085,498 | 4.9 | Yes | $1,395 |
All employees Pension | Flushing Charter Township $2,157,416 | 61.6 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Flushing Charter Township $661,972 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Genesee $159,079,421 | 58.9 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Genesee $308,807,581 | 9.6 | No | |
All employees Pension | Genesee Charter Township $9,282,743 | 47.5 | Yes | $451 |
All employees Health-care | Genesee Charter Township $6,257,980 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Grand Blanc $517,633 | 96.3 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Grand Blanc $3,139,553 | 14 | No | |
All employees Pension | Grand Blanc Charter Township $8,311,303 | 60.4 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Grand Blanc Charter Township $30,178,511 | 13.2 | Yes | $824 |
All employees Health-care | Linden $1,058,300 | 25.8 | No | |
All employees Pension | Montrose $552,654 | 47.8 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Montrose $928,966 | 0 | Yes | $594 |
Non-Union Health-care | Montrose $604,922 | 0 | Yes | $387 |
All employees Pension | Mount Morris Charter Township $17,023,126 | 51.5 | Yes | $833 |
All employees Health-care | Mount Morris Charter Township $14,538,229 | 0 | Yes | $711 |
All employees Pension | Mt Morris $1,906,949 | 73.5 | No | |
All employees Pension | Mundy Charter Township $1,937,505 | 76.2 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Mundy Charter Township $2,063,799 | 40.4 | No | |
All employees Pension | Otisville $370,980 | 69.2 | No | |
All employees Pension | Richfield Township $2,222,003 | 54.9 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Richfield Township $3,505,164 | 25.7 | Yes | $419 |
All employees Pension | Swartz Creek $1,091,826 | 87.3 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Thetford Township $1,136,825 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Vienna Charter Township $709,793 | 61.1 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Vienna Charter Township $1,866,880 | 10.3 | No | |
All employees Pension | Gladwin $7,133,865 | 69.6 | No | |
All employees Pension | Gladwin $248,367 | 84.4 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Gladwin $7,312,111 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Bessemer $901,262 | 64.1 | No | |
All employees Pension | Gogebic County $11,041,411 | 71.5 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Gogebic County $1,973,625 | 34.1 | No | |
All employees Pension | Ironwood $9,592,090 | 48.1 | Yes | $1,930 |
All employees Health-care | Ironwood $27,543 | 98.3 | No | |
All employees Pension | Marenisco Township $122,005 | 73.2 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Wakefield $892,906 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Grand Traverse County $46,078,284 | 51.9 | Yes | $502 |
All employees Health-care | Grand Traverse County $2,515,857 | 9.2 | No | |
Pavilions Pension | Grand Traverse County $7,864,621 | 79.8 | No | |
Pavilions Health-care | Grand Traverse County $5,631,381 | 0 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Long Lake Township $101,860 | 42.9 | No | |
All employees Pension | Traverse City $15,038,794 | 60.5 | No | |
Police and fire Pension | Traverse City $14,765,979 | 66.1 | No | |
Police and fire Health-care | Traverse City $4,333,385 | 46.5 | No | |
Retiree Health Insurance Trust Health-care | Traverse City $2,464,176 | 63.1 | No | |
All employees Pension | Alma $5,592,862 | 75.1 | No | |
All employees Pension | Breckenridge $1,454,681 | 38.6 | No | |
All employees Pension | Gratiot $6,880,110 | 76.5 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Gratiot $4,365,282 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Ithaca $2,055,247 | 55.1 | No | |
All employees Pension | Perrinton $-1,573 | 101.7 | No | |
All employees Pension | St Louis $2,007,603 | 73.9 | No | |
All employees Pension | Hillsdale $4,756,514 | 79.3 | No | |
All employees Pension | Hillsdale $3,207,454 | 61.5 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Hillsdale $1,581,723 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Litchfield $666,294 | 64.3 | No | |
All employees Pension | Reading $75,260 | 82.4 | No | |
All employees Pension | Hancock $1,520,356 | 62.2 | No | |
All employees Pension | Houghton $13,016,256 | 56.3 | No | |
All employees Pension | Houghton $780,728 | 81.8 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Houghton $1,039,987 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Lake Linden $624,170 | 50.3 | No | |
All employees Pension | Laurium $1,099,822 | 55.5 | No | |
All employees Pension | Bad Axe $3,509,535 | 55.5 | No | |
All employees Pension | Caseville $742,456 | 72.7 | No | |
All employees Pension | Elkton $67,622 | 88.6 | No | |
All employees Pension | Harbor Beach $2,400,946 | 69.9 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Harbor Beach $818,945 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Huron $27,700,272 | 66.8 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Huron $17,400,036 | 19.5 | No | |
All employees Pension | Kinde $-676 | 100.3 | No | |
All employees Pension | Pigeon $467,670 | 59.6 | No | |
All employees Pension | Port Austin $176,208 | 73.9 | No | |
All employees Pension | Sebewaing $992,378 | 87.1 | No | |
All employees Pension | Ubly $313,253 | 67 | No | |
All employees Pension | Ubly $231,179 | 75.7 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Delhi Charter Township $3,357,953 | 54.6 | No | |
All employees Pension | East Lansing $89,406,070 | 50 | Yes | $1,830 |
All employees Health-care | East Lansing $40,388,688 | 23.8 | No | |
All employees Pension | Lansing $137,484,594 | 55.3 | Yes | $1,175 |
All employees Health-care | Lansing $176,902,305 | 23.6 | Yes | $1,512 |
Police and fire Pension | Lansing $141,228,895 | 67.1 | No | |
Police and Fire Health-care | Lansing $260,758,959 | 11.6 | Yes | $2,229 |
All employees Pension | Lansing Charter Township $1,482,158 | 83.3 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Lansing Charter Township $5,791,667 | 1.4 | No | |
All employees Pension | Leslie $607,661 | 68.2 | No | |
All employees Pension | Leslie Township $82,161 | 81.7 | No | |
All employees Pension | Mason $7,003,874 | 62.7 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Mason $1,308,463 | 25.2 | No | |
All employees Pension | Meridian Charter Township $27,747,564 | 55.5 | No | |
All employees Pension | Meridian Charter Township $825,016 | 84.5 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Meridian Charter Township $4,468,446 | 49.1 | No | |
All employees Pension | Stockbridge $422,085 | 59.6 | No | |
All employees Pension | Vevay Township $301,049 | 52.6 | No | |
All employees Pension | Williamston $1,707,447 | 64.6 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Williamston $1,852,608 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Belding $1,184,824 | 49.8 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Belding $475,194 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Ionia $11,689,308 | 45.9 | Yes | $1,045 |
All employees Pension | Ionia $1,975,827 | 79.9 | No | |
All employees Pension | Ionia $1,089,977 | 90.3 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Ionia $1,338,892 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Lake Odessa $-9,527 | 102.9 | No | |
All employees Pension | Lyons $11,200 | 94.2 | No | |
All employees Pension | Muir $87,356 | 74.9 | No | |
All employees Pension | Pewamo $96,331 | 72 | No | |
All employees Pension | Portland $5,437,922 | 60.3 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Portland $1,245,219 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Iosco $7,585,950 | 72.2 | No | |
All employees Pension | Oscoda Charter Township $1,461,717 | 65.2 | No | |
All employees Pension | Alpha $-18,440 | 138.8 | No | |
All employees Pension | Bates Township $169,063 | 43.5 | No | |
All employees Pension | Caspian $690,212 | 46.8 | No | |
All employees Pension | Crystal Falls $4,018,355 | 56.4 | Yes | $2,918 |
All employees Health-care | Crystal Falls $3,092,120 | 2.8 | Yes | $2,246 |
All employees Pension | Gaastra $120,642 | 62.2 | No | |
All employees Pension | Iron $2,518,167 | 70.4 | No | |
All employees Pension | Iron River $4,277,287 | 56.3 | No | |
All employees Pension | Stambaugh Township $66,261 | 57.8 | No | |
All employees Pension | Isabella $14,617,325 | 68.4 | No | |
All employees Pension | Mt Pleasant $9,752,036 | 69.1 | No | |
All employees Pension | Mt Pleasant $9,752,036 | 69.1 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Mt Pleasant $4,037,457 | 0 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Mt Pleasant $4,037,457 | 0 | No | |
Police Health-care | Mt Pleasant $615,282 | 70.9 | No | |
Police Health-care | Mt Pleasant $615,282 | 70.9 | No | |
Police and fire Pension | Mt Pleasant $2,573,237 | 91 | No | |
Police and fire Pension | Mt Pleasant $2,573,237 | 91 | No | |
All employees Pension | Blackman Charter Township $4,653,431 | 62.4 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Blackman Charter Township $14,711,775 | 0 | Yes | $631 |
All employees Pension | Brooklyn $400,566 | 65.3 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Brooklyn $57,221 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Jackson $9,720,635 | 80.1 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Jackson $54,904,822 | 1.4 | No | |
Police and fire Pension | Jackson $4,276,377 | 43.4 | Yes | $131 |
Police and fire Pension | Jackson $34,907,460 | 53.1 | Yes | $1,067 |
All employees Pension | Jackson County $59,477,718 | 71.3 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Jackson County $117,277,316 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Leoni Township $2,048,887 | 66.5 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Leoni Township $422,203 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Summit Township $6,105,862 | 57.6 | Yes | $272 |
All employees Health-care | Cooper Charter Township $154,486 | 60.1 | No | |
All employees Pension | Kalamazoo $-209,922,183 | 145.5 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Kalamazoo $70,751,497 | 57.4 | No | |
All employees Pension | Kalamazoo Charter Township $3,201,049 | 75.7 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Kalamazoo Charter Township $4,612,975 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Kalamazoo County $-38,242,716 | 129.4 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Kalamazoo County $42,632,049 | 22.5 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Oshtemo Charter Township $0 | 100 | No | |
All employees Pension | Parchment $1,429,482 | 58.5 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Parchment $531,714 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Portage $106,974 | 95.5 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Portage $-1,767,651 | 129.4 | No | |
All employees Pension | Vicksburg $997,474 | 65 | No | |
All employees Pension | Clearwater Township $30,613 | 75.8 | No | |
All employees Pension | Kalkaska $2,804,021 | 48.4 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Kalkaska $2,044,340 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Kalkaska County $5,602,574 | 73.6 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Kalkaska County $979,690 | 20.6 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Byron Township $470,350 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Cascade Charter Township $2,088,483 | 80.2 | No | |
All employees Pension | Cedar Springs $713,682 | 78.5 | No | |
All employees Pension | East Grand Rapids $9,619,184 | 47.6 | No | |
All employees Health-care | East Grand Rapids $1,968,699 | 39.7 | No | |
All employees Pension | Grand Rapids $120,134,505 | 76.5 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Grand Rapids $49,285,772 | 16 | No | |
Fire Health-care | Grand Rapids $24,198,678 | 37.3 | No | |
Library Health-care | Grand Rapids $218,870 | 0 | No | |
Police Health-care | Grand Rapids $37,463,120 | 39.1 | No | |
Police and fire Pension | Grand Rapids $98,752,084 | 79.5 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Grandville $2,829,966 | 29.6 | No | |
All employees Pension | Kent County $-36,933,648 | 104.3 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Kent County $33,397,244 | 43.1 | No | |
All employees Pension | Kentwood $332,197 | 99.1 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Kentwood $-859,499 | 176.6 | No | |
All employees Pension | Lowell $5,478,203 | 61.5 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Lowell $467,011 | 0 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Plainfield Charter Township $1,667,638 | 0 | Yes | $49 |
All employees Pension | Rockford $3,269,113 | 62.8 | No | |
All employees Pension | Sparta $1,528,308 | 71 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Sparta $253,375 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Walker $9,764,262 | 57 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Walker $6,289,560 | 15.1 | No | |
All employees Pension | Wyoming $22,087,560 | 88.3 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Wyoming $63,092,383 | 36.7 | Yes | $831 |
All employees Pension | Keweenaw County $731,818 | 78.7 | No | |
All employees Pension | Lake County $5,164,259 | 71.1 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Lake County $5,662,729 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Almont $664,507 | 75.8 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Almont $1,459,747 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Dryden $97,659 | 76 | No | |
All employees Pension | Imlay City $3,048,013 | 63.2 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Imlay City $150,926 | 68.7 | No | |
All employees Pension | Lapeer $9,084,591 | 66.1 | No | |
All employees Pension | Lapeer $16,238,839 | 86.4 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Lapeer $24,679,290 | 5.3 | Yes | $2,833 |
All employees Pension | Metamora Township $188,549 | 84.1 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Metamora Township $158,708 | 72.8 | No | |
All employees Pension | Leelanau County $3,700,256 | 87 | No | |
All employees Pension | Adrian $21,847,395 | 64.2 | No | |
All employees Pension | Blissfield $654,338 | 84.1 | No | |
All employees Pension | Clinton $380,487 | 93.1 | No | |
All employees Pension | Deerfield $513,518 | 66.2 | No | |
All employees Pension | Lenawee County $14,319,376 | 83.4 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Lenawee County $929,263 | 0 | No | |
Medical care facility - salaried Pension | Lenawee County $1,165,885 | 84.9 | No | |
Medical care facility - union Pension | Lenawee County $-151,126 | 106.8 | No | |
All employees Pension | Madison Charter Township $413,594 | 73.2 | No | |
All employees Pension | Tecumseh $4,161,212 | 83.9 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Tecumseh $178,629 | 87.7 | No | |
All employees Pension | Brighton $8,839,321 | 60.1 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Brighton $12,193,676 | 9.7 | No | |
All employees Pension | Brighton Charter Township $212,928 | 89 | No | |
All employees Pension | Fowlerville $781,498 | 79.2 | No | |
All employees Pension | Genoa Charter Township $84,319 | 77.9 | No | |
All employees Pension | Green Oak Township $3,234,513 | 59.8 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Green Oak Township $1,280,301 | 11.3 | No | |
All employees Pension | Hamburg Township $1,606,299 | 66.5 | No | |
All employees Pension | Howell $10,712,937 | 56.1 | Yes | $1,125 |
All employees Health-care | Howell $9,571,436 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Livingston County $44,241,086 | 68.1 | No | |
All employees Pension | Oceola Township $148,527 | 88.4 | No | |
All employees Pension | Pinckney $467,666 | 83.7 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Pinckney $72,548 | 56.8 | No | |
All employees Pension | Luce County $3,148,671 | 55.4 | No | |
All employees Pension | Mackinac $5,076,807 | 72 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Mackinac $1,740,310 | 23.7 | No | |
All employees Pension | St Ignace $4,537,242 | 62.4 | No | |
All employees Health-care | St Ignace $860,764 | 0 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Bruce Township $4,714,632 | 0 | Yes | $510 |
All employees Pension | Center Line $4,336,582 | 47.2 | Yes | $524 |
All employees Health-care | Center Line $19,940,125 | 14.3 | Yes | $2,410 |
Police and fire Pension | Center Line $6,582,015 | 64.5 | No | |
All employees Pension | Chesterfield Charter Township $10,325,194 | 72.3 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Chesterfield Charter Township $9,698,111 | 60.2 | No | |
All employees Pension | Clinton Charter Township $30,288,833 | 58.4 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Clinton Charter Township $63,141,128 | 38.3 | No | |
Police and fire Pension | Clinton Charter Township $44,799,494 | 72.3 | No | |
All employees Pension | Eastpointe $43,576,016 | 48 | Yes | $1,340 |
All employees Health-care | Eastpointe $28,504,657 | 20.5 | No | |
All employees Pension | Fraser $29,008,386 | 49.8 | Yes | $1,986 |
All employees Health-care | Fraser $39,098,867 | 0 | Yes | $2,677 |
All employees Pension | Harrison Charter Township $7,352,898 | 66.6 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Harrison Charter Township $14,428,157 | 12.9 | Yes | $577 |
Fire Pension | Harrison Charter Township $13,647,570 | 48.5 | Yes | $545 |
Fire Health-care | Harrison Charter Township $13,766,894 | 12.9 | Yes | $550 |
All employees Pension | Macomb County $7,000,957 | 99.3 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Macomb County $294,678,172 | 46.4 | No | |
Road department Health-care | Macomb County $28,713,283 | 60.7 | No | |
All employees Pension | Macomb Township $542,672 | 83.8 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Macomb Township $-2,823,892 | 113.8 | No | |
All employees Pension | Mount Clemens $-2,065,975 | 103.4 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Mount Clemens $52,986,424 | 0 | Yes | $3,248 |
All employees Pension | New Baltimore $3,107,466 | 80.8 | No | |
All employees Health-care | New Baltimore $10,827,699 | 20.9 | Yes | $875 |
All employees Pension | Romeo $3,149,831 | 60.8 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Romeo $7,184,188 | 0 | Yes | $1,985 |
All employees Pension | Roseville $56,917,501 | 70.7 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Roseville $68,965,885 | 9.1 | No | |
All employees Pension | Shelby Charter Township $-3,774,248 | 103.5 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Shelby Charter Township $50,271,938 | 36.5 | No | |
All employees Pension | St Clair Shores $26,832,029 | 59.3 | Yes | $450 |
All employees Health-care | St Clair Shores $55,599,653 | 10.2 | Yes | $932 |
Police and fire Pension | St Clair Shores $60,867,783 | 62.8 | No | |
Police and fire Health-care | St Clair Shores $90,879,748 | 12.1 | Yes | $1,524 |
All employees Pension | Sterling Heights $31,735,319 | 77.6 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Sterling Heights $97,855,329 | 50.9 | No | |
Police and fire Pension | Sterling Heights $107,602,809 | 65.2 | No | |
All employees Pension | Utica $2,162,855 | 60.9 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Utica $2,810,171 | 28.9 | No | |
Police and fire Pension | Utica $3,903,673 | 67.8 | No | |
All employees Pension | Warren $68,227,676 | 63.4 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Warren $122,967,688 | 21 | Yes | $911 |
Police and fire Pension | Warren $176,482,355 | 61.4 | No | |
Police and fire Health-care | Warren $147,743,583 | 13.2 | Yes | $1,094 |
All employees Health-care | Washington Township $88,520 | 82.8 | No | |
All employees Pension | Manistee $3,959,651 | 79.1 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Manistee $330,195 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Manistee County $15,533,841 | 66.6 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Manistee County $2,994,987 | 0 | Yes | $123 |
All employees Pension | Chocolay Charter Township $-74,142 | 104.4 | No | |
All employees Pension | Forsyth Township $3,278,821 | 52.5 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Forsyth Township $26,349 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Ishpeming $7,847,613 | 51.9 | Yes | $1,218 |
Police and fire Pension | Ishpeming $2,044,200 | 68.4 | No | |
All employees Pension | Ishpeming Township $240,900 | 86.2 | No | |
All employees Pension | Marquette $25,673,298 | 56.6 | Yes | $1,245 |
All employees Health-care | Marquette $8,422,352 | 0 | No | |
Police and fire Pension | Marquette $11,904,822 | 73.1 | No | |
All employees Pension | Marquette Charter Township $863,752 | 71.1 | No | |
All employees Pension | Marquette County $39,162,034 | 61.4 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Marquette County $54,792,835 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Negaunee $5,597,065 | 55.2 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Negaunee $9,608,174 | 0 | No | |
Police Pension | Negaunee $110,524 | 96.7 | No | |
All employees Pension | Ludington $6,193,349 | 68.6 | No | |
All employees Pension | Ludington $6,193,349 | 68.6 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Ludington $843,173 | 0 | No | |
Police Pension | Ludington $2,063,322 | 73.1 | No | |
Police Pension | Ludington $2,063,322 | 73.1 | No | |
All employees Pension | Mason County $14,898,000 | 74.6 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Mason County $55,859 | 98.8 | No | |
All employees Pension | Scottville $118,362 | 83.1 | No | |
All employees Pension | Big Rapids $5,884,433 | 60.7 | No | |
Police and fire Pension | Big Rapids $1,987,873 | 71 | No | |
All employees Pension | Mecosta $-643,008 | 101.8 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Morton Township $264,110 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Menominee $2,377,260 | 74.5 | No | |
Police and fire Pension | Menominee $6,819,696 | 60.4 | No | |
All employees Pension | Stephenson $279,748 | 56.4 | No | |
All employees Pension | Coleman $1,022,914 | 63.3 | No | |
All employees Pension | Midland $64,124,474 | 54.7 | Yes | $1,529 |
All employees Health-care | Midland $51,141,162 | 44.1 | No | |
Police and fire Pension | Midland $23,443,455 | 72.7 | No | |
All employees Pension | Midland County $1,897,411 | 96.9 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Midland County $38,552,866 | 40.8 | No | |
Police and fire Pension | Midland County $2,802,420 | 90.4 | No | |
All employees Pension | Missaukee County $1,997,790 | 69.6 | No | |
All employees Pension | Ash Township $418,395 | 50.1 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Bedford Township $924,844 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Carleton $397,987 | 70 | No | |
All employees Pension | Dundee $1,658,773 | 58.5 | No | |
All employees Pension | Erie Township $-32,099 | 134.4 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Frenchtown Charter Township $1,373,965 | 81.6 | No | |
All employees Pension | Monroe $91,584,359 | 67.4 | No | |
All employees Pension | Monroe $11,804,797 | 92 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Monroe $77,490,432 | 39.3 | Yes | $518 |
All employees Health-care | Monroe $10,328,132 | 84.7 | No | |
All employees Pension | Petersburg $-28,521 | 105.8 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Raisinville Township $524,896 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Carson City $128,981 | 69.4 | No | |
All employees Pension | Greenville $1,835,994 | 70.6 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Greenville $1,499,683 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Howard City $193,840 | 76.7 | No | |
All employees Pension | Montcalm $18,649,744 | 55 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Montcalm $1,719,774 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Stanton $-46,511 | 186.1 | No | |
All employees Pension | Montmorency $5,422,722 | 55.8 | Yes | $586 |
All employees Health-care | Montmorency $0 | 0 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Egelston Township $1,149,000 | 7.9 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Fruitport Charter Township $1,447,000 | 12.6 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Laketon Township $657,615 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Montague $2,072,136 | 65.5 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Montague $285,000 | 71.1 | No | |
All employees Pension | Muskegon $23,906,954 | 77.9 | No | |
All employees Pension | Muskegon $101,456,714 | 62.5 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Muskegon $38,750,523 | 55.8 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Muskegon $4,108,000 | 81.4 | No | |
All employees Pension | Muskegon Charter Township $7,257,648 | 67.2 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Muskegon Charter Township $9,779,125 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | North Muskegon $1,660,464 | 74.4 | No | |
All employees Health-care | North Muskegon $2,562,000 | 20 | Yes | $675 |
All employees Pension | Ravenna $58,046 | 90.2 | No | |
All employees Pension | Roosevelt Park $2,451,869 | 56.1 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Roosevelt Park $1,329,000 | 14.3 | No | |
All employees Pension | Whitehall $1,805,050 | 70 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Whitehall $953,852 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Fremont $5,396,039 | 56.9 | Yes | $1,344 |
All employees Health-care | Fremont $232,914 | 9.2 | No | |
All employees Pension | Newaygo $5,842,391 | 77.5 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Newaygo $10,133,349 | 22.8 | No | |
All employees Pension | White Cloud $427,768 | 57 | No | |
All employees Pension | Auburn Hills $18,319,047 | 74.1 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Auburn Hills $13,954,479 | 56.4 | No | |
All employees Pension | Berkley $9,500,638 | 54.6 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Berkley $25,440,490 | 8 | Yes | $1,659 |
Public safety Pension | Berkley $4,983,377 | 78.8 | No | |
All employees Pension | Beverly Hills $3,765,709 | 84.7 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Beverly Hills $8,775,084 | 41.2 | No | |
All employees Pension | Bingham Farms $68,626 | 77.3 | No | |
All employees Pension | Birmingham $15,160,060 | 86.8 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Birmingham $26,882,432 | 54.7 | No | |
All employees Pension | Bloomfield Charter Township $5,433,551 | 97.5 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Bloomfield Charter Township $151,953,612 | 3.5 | Yes | $3,614 |
All employees Pension | Bloomfield Hills $6,196,747 | 82.6 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Bloomfield Hills $9,532,159 | 13.7 | No | |
All employees Pension | Brandon Charter Township $1,409,551 | 80 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Brandon Charter Township $2,024,768 | 30.8 | No | |
All employees Pension | Clawson $14,417,115 | 40.9 | Yes | $1,207 |
All employees Health-care | Clawson $14,093,576 | 0 | No | |
Fire Pension | Clawson $137,289 | 96.3 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Commerce Charter Township $-81,078 | 128.7 | No | |
All employees Pension | Farmington $5,546,178 | 77.7 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Farmington $1,279,708 | 88 | No | |
All employees Pension | Farmington Hills $39,259,027 | 79.2 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Farmington Hills $-239,888 | 100.3 | No | |
All employees Pension | Ferndale $-12,043,677 | 252.6 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Ferndale $32,210,845 | 33.8 | No | |
Police and fire Pension | Ferndale $3,144,569 | 93.3 | No | |
All employees Pension | Franklin $3,386,139 | 54 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Franklin $603,464 | 36.6 | No | |
All employees Pension | Groveland Township $-9,529 | 100.5 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Groveland Township $-252,010 | 197.2 | No | |
All employees Pension | Hazel Park $33,151,813 | 48.7 | Yes | $2,011 |
All employees Health-care | Hazel Park $70,219,751 | 0 | Yes | $4,259 |
All employees Health-care | Highland Charter Township $-431,055 | 176.4 | No | |
All employees Pension | Holly $7,065,277 | 49.3 | Yes | $1,147 |
All employees Health-care | Holly $524,088 | 41.9 | No | |
All employees Pension | Huntington Woods $10,385,861 | 56.9 | Yes | $1,644 |
All employees Health-care | Huntington Woods $6,884,909 | 15 | No | |
All employees Pension | Independence Charter Township $4,005,400 | 67.3 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Independence Charter Township $3,050,084 | 62.8 | No | |
All employees Pension | Keego Harbor $2,247,670 | 49 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Keego Harbor $66,112 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Lake Orion $1,296,919 | 66.6 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Lake Orion $1,768,166 | 3.9 | No | |
All employees Pension | Lathrup Village $1,931,112 | 76.7 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Lathrup Village $4,830,441 | 0 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Lyon Charter Township $708,604 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Madison Heights $116,579 | 99.7 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Madison Heights $27,937,599 | 26.1 | Yes | $930 |
Police and fire Pension | Madison Heights $35,833,493 | 54.2 | Yes | $1,192 |
Police and fire Health-care | Madison Heights $47,477,982 | 21.9 | Yes | $1,580 |
All employees Pension | Milford $3,454,638 | 75.2 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Milford $-57,000 | 104.1 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Milford Charter Township $286,267 | 84 | No | |
All employees Pension | Novi $37,680,847 | 61.2 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Novi $1,436,123 | 94.4 | No | |
All employees Pension | Oak Park $21,430,091 | 47.4 | Yes | $723 |
All employees Health-care | Oak Park $26,825,302 | 4 | Yes | $905 |
District court Health-care | Oak Park $4,737,968 | 0 | Yes | $160 |
Public safety Pension | Oak Park $31,181,662 | 56.5 | Yes | $1,052 |
Public safety Health-care | Oak Park $27,972,604 | 6.3 | Yes | $943 |
All employees Pension | Oakland $-22,497,565 | 103 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Oakland $-261,360,097 | 126.6 | No | |
All employees Pension | Orchard Lake Village $1,854,602 | 68.2 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Orchard Lake Village $2,015,582 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Oxford $1,311,832 | 60.2 | No | |
All employees Pension | Oxford Charter Township $2,260,557 | 57.1 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Oxford Charter Township $572,603 | 0.4 | No | |
All employees Pension | Pleasant Ridge $2,937,320 | 50.5 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Pleasant Ridge $5,243,712 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Pontiac $-201,510,213 | 176.1 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Pontiac $84,764,641 | 0 | Yes | $1,418 |
Police and fire Pension | Pontiac $27,740,757 | 88.9 | No | |
Police and fire Health-care | Pontiac $-1,831,819 | 104.9 | No | |
All employees Pension | Rochester $7,902,744 | 63.7 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Rochester $1,520,730 | 85.5 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Rochester Hills $-51,287 | 102.4 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Rose Township $-85,510 | 331.7 | No | |
All employees Pension | Royal Oak $61,620,696 | 71.5 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Royal Oak $-8,456,086 | 106.8 | No | |
All employees Pension | Royal Oak Charter Township $-519,120 | 122.6 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Royal Oak Charter Township $89,053 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | South Lyon $5,132,219 | 66.1 | No | |
All employees Health-care | South Lyon $988,975 | 0 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Southfield Township $90,725 | 56.7 | No | |
All employees Pension | Sylvan Lake $1,028,084 | 64.5 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Sylvan Lake $456,738 | 46.8 | No | |
All employees Pension | Troy $-27,095,476 | 116.8 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Troy $59,601,825 | 56.5 | No | |
Fire Pension | Troy $10,466,687 | 44.4 | No | |
All employees Pension | Walled Lake $10,003,705 | 29.4 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Walled Lake $3,042,932 | 0.3 | No | |
All employees Pension | Waterford Charter Township $-2,152,474 | 103.4 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Waterford Charter Township $175,406,695 | 6.1 | Yes | $2,406 |
Police and fire Pension | Waterford Charter Township $10,742,239 | 90.1 | No | |
All employees Pension | West Bloomfield Charter Township $18,267,474 | 88.3 | No | |
All employees Health-care | West Bloomfield Charter Township $5,927,255 | 92.3 | No | |
All employees Pension | White Lake Charter Township $8,763,939 | 70.6 | No | |
All employees Health-care | White Lake Charter Township $11,176,091 | 3.5 | No | |
All employees Pension | Wixom $14,974,219 | 54.2 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Wixom $4,870,218 | 53.1 | No | |
All employees Pension | Wolverine Lake $1,427,535 | 55.5 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Wolverine Lake $196,415 | 2.1 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Hart $2,120,726 | 7.6 | Yes | $1,008 |
All employees Pension | Hesperia $-31,110 | 197.8 | No | |
All employees Pension | Oceana $7,686,714 | 66.6 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Oceana $422,827 | 51.1 | No | |
All employees Pension | Pentwater $559,020 | 72.5 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Pentwater $374,729 | 12.7 | No | |
All employees Pension | Ogemaw $8,215,086 | 71.4 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Ogemaw $652,502 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Rose City $115,571 | 82.4 | No | |
All employees Pension | Rose Township $-203,998 | 234.8 | No | |
All employees Pension | West Branch $1,985,063 | 64.6 | No | |
All employees Health-care | West Branch $145,796 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Ontonagon $6,197,328 | 56.3 | Yes | $4,775 |
All employees Pension | Ontonagon County $3,417,156 | 66.4 | No | |
All employees Pension | Ontonagon County $3,417,156 | 66.4 | No | |
All employees Pension | Evart $277,312 | 46.1 | No | |
All employees Pension | Marion $157,531 | 75.2 | No | |
All employees Pension | Osceola $3,012,398 | 85.1 | No | |
All employees Pension | Osceola $3,012,398 | 85.1 | No | |
All employees Pension | Reed City $2,639,920 | 61.1 | No | |
All employees Pension | Oscoda $3,726,022 | 64.9 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Oscoda $303,470 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Gaylord $5,927,547 | 57.3 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Gaylord $959,585 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Otsego County $8,374,180 | 61.9 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Otsego County $1,930,701 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Coopersville $685,149 | 75.7 | No | |
All employees Pension | Ferrysburg $634,116 | 70 | No | |
All employees Pension | Grand Haven $28,040,620 | 72.3 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Grand Haven $4,405,276 | 30.7 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Grand Haven Charter Township $231,059 | 34.4 | No | |
All employees Pension | Holland $26,906,559 | 79.5 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Holland $5,192,937 | 0 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Holland Charter Township $139,685 | 0 | Yes | $4 |
All employees Pension | Hudsonville $748,689 | 67 | No | |
All employees Pension | Olive Township $144,796 | 65.1 | No | |
All employees Pension | Ottawa County $59,546,359 | 78.2 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Ottawa County $1,992,837 | 72.3 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Park Township $0 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Port Sheldon Township $-6,736 | 100.8 | No | |
All employees Pension | Spring Lake $828,228 | 78.4 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Spring Lake Township $923,798 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Zeeland $1,501,052 | 85.2 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Zeeland $-81,308 | 104 | No | |
All employees Pension | Onaway $90,731 | 87.7 | No | |
All employees Pension | Presque Isle County $4,552,684 | 65 | No | |
All employees Pension | Rogers City $5,826,738 | 47 | Yes | $2,164 |
All employees Health-care | Rogers City $648,725 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Richfield Township $1,114,302 | 62.1 | No | |
All employees Pension | Roscommon County $7,117,286 | 74.5 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Roscommon County $0 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Birch Run $219,955 | 86 | No | |
All employees Pension | Bridgeport Charter Township $3,406,696 | 61.7 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Bridgeport Charter Township $1,026,964 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Buena Vista Charter Township $4,074,530 | 66.1 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Buena Vista Charter Township $2,594,879 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Carrollton Township $1,167,683 | 71.7 | No | |
All employees Pension | Chesaning $2,691,172 | 18.4 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Chesaning $212,380 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Frankenmuth $4,673,874 | 68.3 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Frankenmuth $252,700 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Richland Township $2,135,694 | 55.9 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Richland Township $1,655,751 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Saginaw $161,623,852 | 51.7 | Yes | $3,320 |
All employees Health-care | Saginaw $272,539,089 | 0 | Yes | $5,599 |
All employees Pension | Saginaw Charter Township $7,100,638 | 63.3 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Saginaw Charter Township $7,542,820 | 25.4 | No | |
All employees Pension | Saginaw County $26,312,329 | 81.9 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Saginaw County $81,146,451 | 19.7 | No | |
All employees Pension | St Charles $1,915,828 | 55.2 | Yes | $994 |
All employees Health-care | St Charles $1,299,434 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Swan Creek Township $149,457 | 80.3 | No | |
All employees Pension | Swan Creek Township $143,296 | 81.8 | No | |
All employees Pension | Tittabawassee Township $254,676 | 92.3 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Tittabawassee Township $73,983 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Croswell $4,914,624 | 52.1 | Yes | $2,148 |
All employees Health-care | Croswell $982,395 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Lexington $1,032,715 | 61.3 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Lexington $2,319,909 | 0 | Yes | $2,081 |
All employees Pension | Marlette $544,098 | 72.5 | No | |
All employees Pension | Port Sanilac $426,008 | 58.7 | No | |
All employees Pension | Sandusky $1,995,110 | 55.5 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Sandusky $62,676 | 70.7 | No | |
All employees Pension | Sanilac County $9,553,062 | 86.4 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Sanilac County $12,689,946 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Manistique $7,926,135 | 45.4 | Yes | $2,706 |
All employees Health-care | Manistique $1,170,286 | 0.2 | No | |
All employees Pension | Schoolcraft County $6,187,357 | 58.4 | No | |
All employees Pension | Bancroft $64,407 | 30.2 | No | |
All employees Pension | Corunna $2,311,162 | 60.3 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Corunna $218,765 | 13.1 | No | |
All employees Pension | Durand $2,208,383 | 63.9 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Durand $3,755,162 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Laingsburg $59,893 | 89.2 | No | |
All employees Pension | Owosso $1,716,545 | 64.5 | No | |
All employees Pension | Owosso $5,524,793 | 85.2 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Perry $777,238 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | St Joseph County $2,582,949 | 94.3 | No | |
All employees Pension | Sturgis $-441,000 | 101.3 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Sturgis $3,903,774 | 64.5 | No | |
All employees Pension | Three Rivers $5,806,217 | 67.7 | No | |
All employees Pension | White Pigeon $27,296 | 89.5 | No | |
All employees Pension | Algonac $1,504,519 | 75.3 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Algonac $-188,477 | 162.8 | No | |
All employees Pension | Capac $1,960,639 | 24.2 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Capac $1,076,049 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Clay Township $3,670,764 | 61.5 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Clay Township $6,015,930 | 27.4 | No | |
All employees Pension | East China Charter Township $3,280,854 | 62.5 | No | |
All employees Health-care | East China Charter Township $436,561 | 51.6 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Fort Gratiot Charter Township $846,246 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Marine City $1,906,343 | 72.6 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Marine City $14,236,212 | 1.2 | Yes | $3,471 |
All employees Pension | Marysville $10,785,709 | 59 | Yes | $1,111 |
All employees Health-care | Marysville $9,846,016 | 58.9 | No | |
Police and fire Pension | Marysville $12,166,741 | 51.2 | Yes | $1,254 |
All employees Pension | Port Huron $70,847,616 | 53.2 | Yes | $2,439 |
All employees Health-care | Port Huron $37,110,000 | 28 | No | |
All employees Pension | Port Huron Charter Township $1,155,241 | 69.6 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Port Huron Charter Township $190,908 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | St Clair $9,917,192 | 54.8 | Yes | $1,859 |
All employees Pension | St Clair $9,917,192 | 57.5 | Yes | $1,859 |
All employees Health-care | St Clair $3,642,565 | 0 | No | |
All employees Health-care | St Clair $3,642,565 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | St Clair County $18,679,139 | 92.8 | No | |
Other Postemployment Pension | St Clair County $19,440,633 | 88.4 | No | |
Other Postemployment Health-care | St Clair County $76,526,918 | 24.1 | No | |
All employees Pension | Caro $-68,328 | 104.5 | No | |
All employees Pension | Indianfields Township $-38,827 | 114.2 | No | |
All employees Pension | Millington $17,458 | 98.8 | No | |
All employees Pension | Tuscola County $287,848 | 99.2 | No | |
All employees Pension | Vassar $2,862,444 | 60.5 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Vassar $568,181 | 10.8 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Antwerp Township $2,310,639 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Bangor $-351,574 | 121 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Bangor $1,204,281 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Covert Township $474,943 | 71.5 | No | |
All employees Pension | Lawrence $3,166 | 97.3 | No | |
All employees Pension | Paw Paw $2,777,112 | 70.7 | No | |
All employees Pension | Van Buren County $12,492,427 | 65.2 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Van Buren County $5,101,712 | 0 | Yes | $68 |
All employees Pension | Ann Arbor $68,112,000 | 87.8 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Ann Arbor $121,000,000 | 56.6 | No | |
All employees Pension | Barton Hills $258,944 | 71.7 | No | |
All employees Pension | Chelsea $3,795,583 | 70.2 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Chelsea $1,613,953 | 49.8 | No | |
All employees Pension | Dexter Township $206,933 | 76.2 | No | |
All employees Pension | Lima Township $-47,220 | 111.8 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Manchester $79,002 | 64.3 | No | |
All employees Pension | Milan $6,820,182 | 46.7 | Yes | $1,127 |
All employees Health-care | Milan $3,549,323 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Northfield Township $212,726 | 88.9 | No | |
All employees Pension | Pittsfield Charter Township $8,944,948 | 75.7 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Pittsfield Charter Township $1,339,000 | 85.5 | No | |
All employees Pension | Saline $10,057,188 | 62 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Saline $7,734,911 | 30 | No | |
All employees Pension | Scio Township $794,173 | 72.4 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Scio Township $943,936 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Superior Charter Township $2,132,686 | 71.8 | No | |
All employees Pension | Washtenaw County $24,656,146 | 78.5 | No | |
All employees Pension | Washtenaw County $81,819,159 | 77.4 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Washtenaw County $117,954,692 | 50 | No | |
All employees Pension | Ypsilanti $-3,705,179 | 126.1 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Ypsilanti $15,625,102 | 29.1 | No | |
Police and fire Pension | Ypsilanti $19,384,949 | 57.9 | No | |
All employees Pension | Ypsilanti Charter Township $6,661,534 | 68.9 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Ypsilanti Charter Township $6,162,964 | 44.5 | No | |
Fire Health-care | Ypsilanti Charter Township $6,894,128 | 41.7 | No | |
Police and fire Pension | Ypsilanti Charter Township $5,435,630 | 83.4 | No | |
All employees Pension | Allen Park $24,622,581 | 77.2 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Allen Park $88,364,831 | 0.6 | Yes | $3,254 |
All employees Pension | Belleville $3,802,868 | 54.3 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Belleville $3,914,770 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Brownstown Charter Township $7,787,284 | 71.5 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Brownstown Charter Township $19,871,719 | 12.8 | No | |
All employees Pension | Canton Charter Township $45,443,759 | 62.6 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Canton Charter Township $45,840,483 | 23.4 | No | |
All employees Pension | Dearborn $-444,520 | 104.3 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Dearborn $161,526,984 | 28.5 | Yes | $1,709 |
Chapter 21 Pension | Dearborn $-14,773,859 | 238.9 | No | |
Chapter 22 Pension | Dearborn $44,149,173 | 76.2 | No | |
Chapter 23 Pension | Dearborn $88,834,151 | 75.8 | No | |
Retiree Life Insurance Health-care | Dearborn $-1,232,638 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Dearborn Heights $13,279,295 | 74.8 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Dearborn Heights $168,693,439 | 0 | Yes | $3,025 |
Police and fire Pension | Dearborn Heights $25,105,633 | 87.4 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Detroit $-709,084 | 121.5 | No | |
General emp. I Pension | Detroit $12,907,090 | 73.7 | No | |
General emp. II Pension | Detroit $992,880,646 | 66.1 | No | |
Police and fire II Pension | Detroit $859,215,397 | 77.4 | No | |
Police and fire II Pension | Detroit $7,525,407 | 84.9 | No | |
All employees Pension | Ecorse $25,927,451 | 37.8 | Yes | $2,810 |
All employees Health-care | Ecorse $22,623,093 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Flat Rock $13,425,363 | 46.2 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Flat Rock $14,388,666 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Garden City $32,537,472 | 62.9 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Garden City $132,273,081 | 0 | Yes | $4,963 |
District court Pension | Garden City $1,042,031 | 62.2 | No | |
All employees Pension | Gibraltar $-92,369 | 105.9 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Gibraltar $8,059,032 | 4.8 | Yes | $1,793 |
Public safety officers Pension | Gibraltar $-179,354 | 102.1 | No | |
All employees Pension | Grosse Ile Township $13,774,444 | 58.1 | Yes | $1,356 |
All employees Health-care | Grosse Ile Township $17,186,369 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Grosse Pointe $-6,001,321 | 118.6 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Grosse Pointe $11,698,878 | 6.2 | No | |
All employees Pension | Grosse Pointe Farms $1,626,988 | 93.6 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Grosse Pointe Farms $11,038,552 | 15 | Yes | $1,205 |
Public safety Pension | Grosse Pointe Farms $-3,896,950 | 110.9 | No | |
Public safety Health-care | Grosse Pointe Farms $11,425,506 | 31.1 | Yes | $1,248 |
All employees Pension | Grosse Pointe Park $21,042,011 | 53.3 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Grosse Pointe Park $26,620,570 | 0.7 | No | |
All employees Pension | Grosse Pointe Shores City Of The Village $6,819,563 | 75.3 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Grosse Pointe Shores City Of The Village $8,113,762 | 21.4 | No | |
All employees Pension | Grosse Pointe Woods $22,701,361 | 62.4 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Grosse Pointe Woods $53,746,070 | 0.1 | Yes | $3,454 |
Supplemental annuity fund Pension | Grosse Pointe Woods $1,579,906 | 50.5 | No | |
All employees Pension | Hamtramck $55,221,927 | 42.6 | Yes | $2,539 |
All employees Health-care | Hamtramck $33,241,386 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Harper Woods $27,599,971 | 44.9 | Yes | $2,008 |
All employees Health-care | Harper Woods $45,615,204 | 0 | Yes | $3,319 |
All employees Pension | Highland Park $5,942,619 | 2 | Yes | $545 |
All employees Health-care | Highland Park $24,087,834 | 0 | No | |
Police and fire Pension | Highland Park $4,052,265 | 6.8 | Yes | $372 |
Public safety Pension | Highland Park $31,194,613 | 3.7 | Yes | $2,862 |
All employees Pension | Huron Charter Township $7,463,504 | 65.8 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Huron Charter Township $5,577,792 | 52 | No | |
All employees Pension | Inkster $2,398,512 | 81.2 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Inkster $8,119,400 | 0 | No | |
Police and fire Pension | Inkster $8,144,309 | 76.2 | No | |
All employees Pension | Lincoln Park $33,636,562 | 18.1 | Yes | $918 |
All employees Health-care | Lincoln Park $53,192,760 | 0 | Yes | $1,451 |
Police and fire Pension | Lincoln Park $58,666,135 | 26.9 | Yes | $1,600 |
Police and Fire Health-care | Lincoln Park $57,736,481 | 0 | Yes | $1,575 |
All employees Pension | Livonia $-11,620,502 | 105.3 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Livonia $62,504,000 | 61.2 | No | |
All employees Pension | Melvindale $24,914,191 | 39.3 | Yes | $2,409 |
All employees Health-care | Melvindale $45,097,236 | 0 | Yes | $4,361 |
Police and fire I Pension | Melvindale $-228,252 | 104 | No | |
Police and fire I Health-care | Melvindale $-157,098 | 106.3 | No | |
All employees Pension | Northville $8,423,946 | 57.7 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Northville $10,617,263 | 43.3 | No | |
All employees Pension | Northville Charter Township $14,310,065 | 68.2 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Northville Charter Township $896,734 | 86.6 | No | |
All employees Pension | Plymouth $7,683,513 | 52.5 | Yes | $841 |
All employees Health-care | Plymouth $12,656,374 | 0 | No | |
All employees Pension | Plymouth Charter Township $9,497,661 | 68.2 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Plymouth Charter Township $16,383,116 | 0 | Yes | $605 |
All employees Pension | Redford Charter Township $22,481,025 | 55.8 | Yes | $478 |
All employees Health-care | Redford Charter Township $52,114,572 | 3.7 | Yes | $1,107 |
Police and fire Pension | Redford Charter Township $48,192,462 | 56.8 | Yes | $1,024 |
Police and fire Health-care | Redford Charter Township $83,925,548 | 4.7 | Yes | $1,783 |
All employees Pension | River Rouge $2,523,849 | 87.6 | No | |
All employees Health-care | River Rouge $62,108,641 | 0 | Yes | $8,301 |
Police and fire Pension | River Rouge $9,765,117 | 77.4 | No | |
All employees Pension | Riverview $6,126,643 | 83.1 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Riverview $42,226,967 | 0 | Yes | $3,488 |
All employees Pension | Rockwood $278,192 | 89.1 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Rockwood $6,595,866 | 8.9 | Yes | $2,072 |
All employees Pension | Romulus $30,907,302 | 39.2 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Romulus $58,615,605 | 5.9 | Yes | $2,499 |
All employees Pension | Southgate $10,445,238 | 64.2 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Southgate $30,063,301 | 7.7 | Yes | $1,034 |
Police and fire Pension | Southgate $29,262,682 | 59.6 | Yes | $1,006 |
Police and fire Health-care | Southgate $50,023,306 | 2.7 | Yes | $1,720 |
All employees Pension | Sumpter Township $2,470,964 | 71.1 | No | |
All employees Pension | Taylor $44,353,651 | 46.6 | Yes | $724 |
All employees Health-care | Taylor $333,124,138 | 0 | Yes | $5,436 |
District court Pension | Taylor $1,047,830 | 72.7 | No | |
Police and fire Pension | Taylor $103,837,254 | 54.1 | Yes | $1,695 |
All employees Pension | Trenton $20,760,728 | 54.5 | Yes | $1,137 |
All employees Health-care | Trenton $80,535,809 | 8.9 | Yes | $4,412 |
Police and fire Pension | Trenton $17,621,436 | 74.8 | No | |
All employees Pension | Van Buren Charter Township $4,755,063 | 73.3 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Van Buren Charter Township $26,814,905 | 5.8 | Yes | $948 |
All employees Pension | Wayne $47,954,243 | 57.1 | Yes | $2,830 |
All employees Health-care | Wayne $85,547,284 | 2.6 | Yes | $5,048 |
All employees Pension | Wayne County $647,909,032 | 55.2 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Wayne County $284,305,000 | 5.9 | No | |
All employees Pension | Westland $78,605,871 | 40.7 | Yes | $962 |
All employees Health-care | Westland $279,605,383 | 0 | Yes | $3,420 |
Police and fire Pension | Westland $67,545,897 | 70 | No | |
All employees Pension | Woodhaven $5,877,455 | 78.9 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Woodhaven $26,764,283 | 0 | Yes | $2,144 |
All employees Pension | Wyandotte $29,175,187 | 69.1 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Wyandotte $126,992,243 | 1.7 | Yes | $5,084 |
All employees Pension | Cadillac $2,882,476 | 76.7 | No | |
All employees Health-care | Cadillac $287,160 | 83.5 | No | |
Police and fire Pension | Cadillac $2,727,296 | 79.8 | No | |
Police and fire Health-care | Cadillac $1,190,590 | 60.7 | No | |
All employees Pension | Manton $1,252,327 | 35.5 | No | |
All employees Pension | Wexford County $9,639,139 | 67.3 | No | |
Iron Mountain, about 75 miles southwest of Marquette, makes do with 41 full-time employees, down from 55 a decade ago. Two-thirds of its roads are in poor condition. City Manager Jordan Stanchina said he’s put off water and sewer projects and delayed replacing worn-out backhoes and loaders.
“On street repair, we’d like to be doing double or triple what we are doing,” Stanchina said. “Right now, we’re just trying to keep our heads above water.”
Iron Mountain is among nearly 250 municipalities and public bodies across the state flagged late last year for carrying significant unfunded debt levels by the Treasury Department under a new state law.
A task force appointed by former Republican Gov. Rick Snyder found local governments in the state that provide retiree health care had $10.1 billion in unfunded liabilities, along with another $7.5 billion in unfunded pension debt.
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That prompted legislators to pass a law in 2017 that requires communities and public agencies to report pension and retiree health care debt to the Treasury Department and submit plans for corrective action if the debt is deep enough.
As Bridge Magazine has reported, Michigan’s legacy debt crisis stretches back decades, traceable in many cases to union pension and health care benefits cities couldn’t afford in the long run. Until recently, many cities also failed to set aside money for retiree health care benefits when employees were still working, forcing them to divert more money from the general fund to pay benefits when they retire.
Experts agree communities will largely have to dig their way out on their own. If they haven’t done it already, that means switching from pensions to 401(k)-style retirement benefits for new employees and negotiating retiree health care plans with more limited benefits. For example, the City of Portage, next to Kalamazoo, switched in the 1980s from a defined pension benefit to a less costly defined contribution plan. It also took similar steps to limit its costs for retiree health care.
To be sure, cities like Flint, Saginaw, Lansing and areas downriver of Detroit such as Ecorse and Lincoln Park remain Exhibit A for Michigan’s ongoing municipal debt morass.
Those larger dollar figures can overshadow the struggles of easily overlooked places like Iron Mountain and Iron River in the U.P. and Rogers City southeast of the Mackinac Bridge. The state’s heightened scrutiny on legacy debt has also laid bare a significant debt gap in public bodies like road commissions as well.
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“It’s a significant problem in some rural areas,” said Eric Scorsone, a Michigan State University associate professor, former deputy treasurer and chairman of the Treasury’s Municipal Stability Board that oversees legacy debt reporting.
“It’s easy to think the debt numbers are small compared to the (larger cities). But if you look at the debt on a per capita basis, they are pretty substantial.”
The average per capita municipal legacy debt in Michigan is about $1,000. In Iron Mountain and nearby Crystal Falls it’s over $5,000, totals approaching the more high-profile per capita debt of places like Lansing, at just over $6,000.
And cutting employees further may not be the answer: Michigan already has the lowest number of per-capita state and local government employees in the nation, according to a study by Governing Magazine.
In 2014, Michigan had 182,000 state and municipal employees, or 184 per 10,000 residents. That’s 20 percent less than the national average of 232 per 10,000.
Pinched from all sides
Property values – while now rising in much of the state – are either stagnant or falling in much of rural Michigan. At the same time, many rural areas continue to be drained of people as 14 of 15 U.P. counties lost population since 2010. That leaves fewer taxpayers to sustain legacy debt.
From 2014 to 2017, taxable property values in Iron Mountain grew by 2.1 percent, while the average rise for Michigan’s 1,500 townships and cities was ten-fold higher at 21 percent. Making matters worse, the town’s population has fallen 13 percent since 1990. So as legacy costs rise, they inevitably eat into services taxpayers expect from their communities.
“When you look at rural communities, if you don’t get new construction there are not ways to grow property tax revenues beyond the rate of inflation,” said Chris Hackbarth, director of state and federal affairs for the Michigan Municipal League.
“This is absolutely a problem.”
Municipal leaders have complained for years of being starved for cash, in part because state law limits how fast property values can grow under the Headlee Amendment, which restricts city revenue collections in better economic times. That left many communities unable to fully recover from the housing crash a decade ago.
On top of that, communities have absorbed state revenue sharing cuts calculated at more than $8 billion since 2002, according to the Michigan Municipal League.
Those pressures prompted the state to give closer scrutiny to communities most pinched by legacy debt.
Under the 2017 law, cities must send Treasury a corrective action plan when less than 60 percent of their pension is funded and their annual obligations exceed 10 percent of revenue; and when retiree health care funding falls under 40 percent and annual obligations exceed 12 percent of revenues.
Lawmakers stripped an earlier provision of the bill to send financial management teams into financially stressed communities with broad powers to drive down retirement debt. Opponents argued that was a rerun of emergency management powers that led to the Flint water crisis.
In Rogers City, poring over spreadsheets
On the shores of Lake Huron in the northeast Lower Peninsula, Rogers City Manager Joe Hefele spent weeks last year poring over spread sheets analyzing his city’s $5.8 million unfunded pension debt.
The outlook was bleak.
The city now owes about $300,000 a year in pension contributions. But Hefele said those obligations are projected to balloon to more than $1 million a year in a few years. That’s half the city’s $2 million general fund – and would consume all the city’s property tax revenue.
It doesn’t help that as these obligations rise, the city’s taxable property values fell by 2.2 percent from 2014 to 2017.
City officials now pin their hopes on a state law passed in December’s legislative lame duck session that allows communities with a single-A bond rating to issue bonds to pay down pension and health care obligations. Hefele calculates a bond issue could save the city $6 million over 22 years.
He said this city of about 2,700 people has made substantial cuts to staff, as it leaves positions empty as employees retire. Its public works department has shrunk since 1999 from nine full-time jobs to six; its police department from eight to six; its water department from two to one and its office staff from seven to five.
As in any city with retired public employees, Rogers City can’t renegotiate pension benefits already due retirees since those are protected under the state constitution.
Hefele called a bond issue “our only way out. Otherwise we could be looking at bankruptcy.”
Paying down but still going backwards
“The public expects safe roads and well-maintained roads,” said Road Commission Manager Dave Pettersch.
But Pettersch said that’s getting harder to do each year. It’s faced with more than $14 million in unfunded pension and retiree health care debt.
According to Treasury Department data, it had $16 million in pension liability 2017 and $8.3 million in assets – leaving it just 52 percent funded. It has $6.76 million in health care debt – with just over $84,000 in assets, leaving it virtually unfunded.
The road commission owes about $1 million a year in annual contributions to pensions and more than $400,000 a year for retiree health care. That’s about 17 percent of its 2017 budget of about $9 million.
“It has an impact, there’s no doubt.” Pettersch said. “Every year we try to pay it down but it’s an ongoing debt that only grows. You’re putting into the system and you’re still going backwards.”
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That puts a crimp on everything from construction to road maintenance to the purchase of new equipment.
In 2009, the commission closed its pension plan to new employees and cut off retiree health care benefits for new employees. Still, its pension contribution is expected to continue to rise, by one estimate approaching $1.5 million by 2040.
“Past generations have tied our hands in this generation,” Pettersch said. “People are outliving how long they were expected to live in the 1960s. The amount of money that was needed was not put away.”
Down to two cops
On the shores of Lake Superior at the base of the Keweenaw Peninsula, the Village of Baraga is staring at a sobering amount of pension debt for a community its size.
It had $3.7 million in pension liabilities in 2017 and just $1.5 million in assets, leaving it just 41 percent funded. According to the Treasury Department, its required annual pension contribution of about $157,000 accounted for one-fourth of government revenues in 2017.
Village Manager LeAnn LeClaire said the village of about 2,000 people closed its pension eight years ago to new employees, replacing it with a lower-cost plan, and replaced its retiree health plan with a lower-cost version eight years ago.
She said the village has cut staff from 25 full-time employees to 11. Its police department now has two officers – half what it used to be – while its public works department has four employees, down from 11.
LeClaire said it’s put off replacing aging culverts, as well as a new marina and hiking trail to the nearby Village of L’Anse. She’d like to put new playground equipment in its children’s park.
“We don’t have the money,” she said.
LeClaire is uncertain how long it might take the village dig out from under this debt.
“There definitely will be more cutbacks,” she said. “We’ve got a lot to think about.”
Back in Iron Mountain, Stanchina, the city manager, submitted corrective plans to the state in November, which were approved.
The city switched in 2018 from a traditional pension plan for new hires to a combination defined benefit plan and defined contribution plan that should lower the city’s liability over time. But it doesn’t expect to be 60 percent funded – the state standard – until 2033.
As of now, the city has about $34 million in retiree health liability and estimates it won’t become 40 percent funded, the state threshold, until 2049.
It is, Stanchina said, a long slog.
“We’re going to be at this for a while.”
Bridge staff reporter Mike Wilkinson contributed.
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