MML November/December 2022 Review Magazine

the review The official magazine of the Michigan Municipal League

Features

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7 Public Health and Local Government Action Compiled by Kim Cekola

- 20 COVER STORY Reviving Housing Patterns to Help Michigan Thrive By Melissa Milton-Pung 24 Convention 2022 Highlights 24

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16 Breaking Down the Statewide Survey Regarding Harassment and Violence of Local Governments By Morgan Schwanky

TURN THE PAGE LOCAL LEADERS SHAPING THE FUTURE

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The Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy | University of Michigan

Michigan Public Policy Survey September 2022

MPPS Policy Brief Statewide survey finds a majority of Michigan local governments experiencing harassment or other abuse By Natalie Fitzpatrick, Debra Horner, and Thomas Ivacko Michigan’s top local officials report personally experiencing harassment themselves over last few years Statewide, 47% of Michigan’s top elected and appointed local officials from counties, cities, townships, and villages report personally experiencing online or in-person harassment over the last few years as part of their role in local government, including disrespectful or hostile comments, graphic language or slurs, shouting, and rude or aggressive gestures (see Figure 1 ). Harassment is even more common in jurisdictions with more than 5,000 residents, where about two-thirds of top officials report such problems. Meanwhile, officials from urban or mostly urban jurisdictions are significantly more likely to report harassment than those from rural places, though four in ten rural leaders report these problems as well. Local officials are less likely to report being subjected to actual threats (15% of jurisdictions statewide), or violent actions such as destruction of property or physical assault (3%). However, in the largest jurisdictions—those with more than 30,000 residents—one-third (33%) report experiencing threats and 7% report violent actions.

5 Executive Director’s Message 31 Legal Spotlight 32 Municipal Finance 34 Northern Field Report 37 Municipal Q&A 38 Membership Columns

Statewide, top officials from 50% of jurisdictions say they have not personally experienced any harassment, threats, or violence as part of their role in local government.

Figure 1 Percent of jurisdictions where top officials report experiencing harassment over the last few years as part of their role in local government, by population category and urban-rural self-identification

70%

69% 67%

66%

65%

49%

47%

45%

40%

37%

COVER Housing Pattern Book

Statewide

1,500 or fewer residents

1,501-5,000 5,001-10,000

10,001-30,000 More than

Rural

Mostly rural Mostly urban Urban

30,000 residents

With rent and mortgage costs rising and communities challenged to develop enough housing for their residents, the Michigan Municipal League and Michigan Economic Development Corporation have developed new strategies to help communities add more housing options to their existing neighborhoods. See mml.org for the electronic version of the magazine and past issues.

website: closup . umich . edu | email: closup @ umich . edu | twitter: @ closup

the official magazine of the

November / December 2022

PATTERN BOOK HOMES FOR 21 ST CENTURY MICHIGAN >> p. 20

THIS USED TO BE NORMAL

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Public Health Community Wealth Building >> p. 7

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Harassment of Local Government Officials >> p. 16

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Convention 2022 Highlights >> p. 24

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NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2022

THE REVIEW