Advocacy

State & Federal Affairs at the League

Through advocacy at the state and federal levels, the Michigan Municipal League proactively represents municipalities to help them sustain highly livable, desirable, and unique places within the state. Some of our current advocacy projects are listed below.

Legislative Issues

2025-26 Legislative Priorities

The future of Michigan relies on creating thriving communities across the state. Past decades of state policy decisions have left our communities to work in the face of financial strains and growing limitations. The results are clear: an aging population, a last-in-the-nation growth rate, and a dwindling workforce. For Michigan to change its trajectory, it must choose a better policy path that supports the efforts happening on the ground and around the state.

Ax MI Tax

As expected, the AxMiTax proposal to eliminate all real and personal property taxes in Michigan is attempting to qualify for the 2026 ballot. This initiative would devastate local services by cutting over $17 billion in local funding. We encourage you to stay vigilant and help your community understand the critical role this funding plays in providing essential services. The League will continue to monitor this issue and update members as needed.

Black and white image of a back patio. There is trash and empty bottles scattered everywhere.

Short Term Rentals

Regulating short-term rental properties is a hot legislative topic in Michigan as companies like Airbnb and VRBO become increasingly more popular. Learn more about the topic, various bill proposals, and ways the Michigan Municipal League and partner organizations are working to address it.

Lively downtown with diners on the sidewalk, outside businesses.

Partnership for Place: An Agenda for a Competitive 21st Century Michigan

This policy agenda proposes a commitment of action in partnership between the State and its municipalities that will facilitate Michigan’s economic growth.

Local Agency Pavement Warranty Program

As part of the Transportation Funding Package of 2015, the Michigan Legislature created a requirement that each local road agency in Michigan adopt a Local Pavement Warranty Program acceptable to the Michigan Department of Transportation.

Marihuana in Michigan

Medical marihuana was legalized in Michigan in 2008. Recreational marihuana was legalized in late 2018. Learn the differences and requirements for both types of marihuana.

Dark Stores

Large retailers, popularly known as “Big Box” stores, have convinced the Michigan Tax Tribunal to give them special treatment as it pertains to the market value of their property. Learn more about the problem, how it negatively impacts Michigan communities, and what can be done about it.

Transportation & Transit

The League is actively pursuing several initiatives to fund Michigan’s transportation and infrastructure systems to energize downtowns and seed economic development efforts.

Federal Issues

Housing finance reform, collective bargaining, and funding for transportation and community programs are among the League’s top federal priorities.

Stay Connected

Live with League

Join the League’s State and Federal Affairs team on second and fourth Mondays for a Facebook live show where we will discuss what’s happening in Lansing at the state level and other legislative updates.

Inside 208

Our advocacy-focused blog keeps you informed on hot topics, actions alerts, upcoming deadlines, and more from the State and Federal Affairs team. Sign up to get the latest blog posts in your inbox.

Core Legislative Principles

Our core legislative principles are the big picture that drives advocacy at the League and aims to support the state’s prosperity from the bottom up, ensuring local governments have the resources and tools to serve their residents now and into the future.

Arts & Culture

Respect, celebrate, and recognize cultural identities, traditions, and creative outputs as critical assets that build the social and economic fabric in a community.

Education & Lifelong Learning

Educational institutions and educators play a vital role in encouraging, facilitating, and assisting our residents to better themselves, thus providing lifelong pathways to prosperity for all.

Environmental Sustainability

Managing our natural resources to ensure long-term sustainability is essential to bringing harmony between the built environment and the natural environment.

Infrastructure

The methods we use to move from one place to another, communicate, and interact both physically and virtually are fundamental assets for a working economy.

Local Economic Development

Fiscally healthy communities, residents, and small businesses are resilient, and fuel accelerated prosperity for all.

Reforming the State’s system for funding our communities.

Managing our natural resources to ensure long-term sustainability is essential to bringing harmony between the built environment and the natural environment.

Physical Design & Walkability

Dense, walkable settings are essential to providing healthy lifestyles that attract people and improve the human experience.

Public Health & Safety

Communities play a significant role in residents’ ability to access a healthy and safe lifestyle by creating zoning, transportation, communication, and economic development strategies that provide wide-ranging services.

Trust & Belonging

Trust and a sense of belonging are essential elements in a community’s ability to problem solve and marshal its collective resources to invest in its future.

Policy Committees

A Unique Opportunity to Serve

Committees serve League members by providing general direction and legislative policy recommendations to the Board of Trustees and League staff on a variety of local government issues. Our advocacy efforts depend on input from the five Policy Committees.