MSU Extension Fiscal Management

• Dealing with the Challenge of Economic Uncertainty

  Published on April 20, 2023
  Dr. Eric Scorsone discusses the impact of inflation and economic challenges, what direction the economy might be heading in, and steps local governments can take to prepare for a variety of scenarios.

• Rethinking Local Government Budgeting

  Published on April 18, 2022
  In this webinar, participants will have a chance to learn more about the concept of fairness in budgeting, and discuss how ideas of fairness impact their own budget process and decisions.

• State Preemption of Local Authority in Michigan

  Published on February 8, 2022
  In this webinar, Dr. Keith Boeckelman, from Western Illinois University, and Dr. Eric Scorsone, with the MSU, present on recently published research into trends in state preemption as well as discuss examples of preemption here in Michigan.

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  Budgeting Your Benefits Interactive Worksheet Template

  Published on December 3, 2020
  The Budgeting Your Benefits Interactive Worksheet Template allows you to input your monthly food budget and subtract expenses as you purchase food throughout the month.

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  Pennsylvania Offers A Curious Case To Explore Alternatives To Early Warning Systems And State Intervention: Can Michigan Keep Its Horses From Wandering Off?

  Published on May 5, 2020
  The purpose of this report is to apply the Early Warning System (EWS) used by Pennsylvania with Michigan local government financial and socioeconomic data, as a way to assess potential fiscal distress that cities, townships, and counties may experience.

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  A closer look at legacy costs and local actions in Michigan in the wake of PA 202

  Published on January 1, 2020
  Legacy costs have imposed challenges on local governments in Michigan. The lack of funding for retirement benefits, including pension and other postemployment benefits (OPEB) such as healthcare, affects the wellbeing of public employees.

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  Michigan's Post-Recession Spending

  Published on September 1, 2018
  Over the past eight years, the state’s economy has seen significant improvements. Even with these increases, there remain significant concerns regarding funding for key public policy priorities in the state.

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  A new approach to evaluating the fiscal health of Michigan local governments: Comparing fiscal performance relative to available resources

  Published on June 1, 2018
  The purpose of this report is to develop a scoring system for Michigan local governments that accurately reflects their fiscal condition.

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  Michigan's Local Financial Emergency Manager Law: Considering the Alternatives

  Published on May 30, 2018
  MSU Extension gathered stakeholder feedback on the feasibility of possible alternatives to PA 436 of 2012 to determine which alternatives have the most support within the group.

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  Michigan Cities and Michigan Cannot Thrive Without Major Changes in Our System of Financing Local Governments

  Published on May 25, 2018
  Local government finances are primarily driven by property value growth and state revenue payments. Cities with TV per capita below $20,000 are likely to experience financial problems, particularly in a recession.