Business & Economy

Local officials see reasons for fiscal optimism

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By LAUREN GIBBONS
Capital News Service
LANSING — A report suggesting local government leaders are more optimistic about their community’s fiscal health could be good news for the state, but officials say there’s still a long road to recovery ahead for many municipalities. Fewer local governments are less able to meet their fiscal 33 percent in 2012 down from 48 percent in 2011, according to a report by the University of Michigan’s Center for Local, State and Urban Policy. About 24 percent of surveyed officials indicated their communities are better able to meet fiscal needs, up from 16 percent last year. Officials in St. Ignace are seeing a similar trend on a local level, said Helen Thibault, the city’s executive secretary.