MTA Grassroots Survey Results

August 2006

1. Personal Information

Response Percent

Response Total

Name

100%

162

Title

100%

162

Township

100%

162

County

100%

162

Total Respondents

162

(skipped this question)

2. Recent election law changes (consolidation) transferred the authority of running school elections to local and county clerks and required school districts to choose either the May or November election date to conduct school board elections. With the majority of school districts choosing to hold school board elections on the May election date, one result has been higher costs to school districts due to paying for the elections (when there are no other issues on the ballot). Legislation has been introduced to require school board elections to be held on either the odd or even year November election date. This would virtually eliminate school district costs in even year elections as many other issues would already be on the same ballot but could have the affect of adding an additional election in odd years for many townships that otherwise might not be conducting an election at that time. Should MTA advocate for moving school board elections to the November ballot?

Response Percent

Response Total

Yes

74.8%

119

25.2%

Total Respondents

159

(skipped this question)

3. In recent days, both Republican & Democrat Party leaders have recently come out in support of re-instituting a partially closed presidential primary election that would be used by both major political parties for the 2008 presidential election. The election would likely fall on the first Tuesday in February (or even sooner) potentially creating a fifth election date. The process would be similar to that used in 1992 when people had to declare their party before voting. The process is designed to keep people from “crossing over” to vote in the other party’s primary (i.e. Republicans voting for George Wallace in 1972 and Democrats voting for John McCain in 2000). Should MTA support the consolidation of the current Republican open primary and the Democrat caucus system into one partially closed presidential primary?

Response Percent

Response Total

Yes

34.2%

65.8%

104

Total Respondents

158

(skipped this question)

4. Funding for police patrols in areas that have no specific police protection is becoming a hot political issue. Sheriff departments across the state are pressuring townships to establish road patrol contracts with their departments in order to offset patrol costs. Legislation has been discussed that would allow for a more versatile countywide millage for police protection. Any community that currently has their own police department or contracts for police services would receive all revenue generated from their community by the new millage to fund their own services. In areas where no specific police protection is currently provided, the tax revenue would go to the county sheriff specifically for patrol services in those communities. If a community established a police department or signed a contract for police services in the future, the tax revenue sent to the county sheriff would automatically transfer to the community to pay for the new police service. Do you see this as positive legislation for townships?

Response Percent

Response Total

Yes

69.7%

108

30.3%

Total Respondents

155

(skipped this question)

5. MTA and many townships have been engaged in heavy lobbying in both the state and federal legislative arenas related to cable franchising authority. As part of the strategy to retain local authority, MTA asked townships to send letters of invite to AT&T. These letters stated that the township wants AT&T to come into their community and that they could secure the same franchise being used by the incumbent cable provider (existing cable company) in an expedited manner.

Yes

Response Total

Has your township been contacted by AT&T about a franchise?

7% (10)

93% (142)

152

Has anyone from your township board, staff or cable commission sat down with AT&T to discuss a possible franchise?

2% (3)

98% (149)

152

Total Respondents

152

(skipped this question)

6. In an effort to help MTA identify the interests of township officials related to specific legislative issue areas, would you please mark any of the following topics that are of interest to you. You are welcome to mark multiple topic areas.