PAAdvisory Briefs

Benton Harbor Progress

The financial emergency in Benton Harbor has been declared resolved following a recommendation by Emergency Manager Tony Saunders. The city cut General Fund expenditures by 30 percent, reached two collective bargaining agreements, increased pension contributions and reduced crime. Governor Snyder named a Receivership Transition Advisory Board to help the city work towards financial sustainability. The board will consist of two former Whirlpool employees, the Berrien County Treasurer and an audit manager for the Department of Treasury.

U.S. Senate Approves Four New Michigan Federal Judges

The U.S. Senate approved four appointees to the U.S. Court for the Eastern District of Michigan this week. Three were approved unanimously, with the fourth, Linda Parker, approved on a 63-37 vote. Ms. Parker is the former Department of Civil Rights director in Michigan, and currently a Wayne Circuit Judge. Along with Ms. Parker came Matthew Leitman, currently a principal at Miller Canfield in Troy; Judith Ellen Levy, an assistant U.S. attorney in Detroit and head of the civil rights division; and Laurie Michelson, who has been an eastern district magistrate since 2011.

Tourists Spend $1.2 Billion In 2013

Research Firm Longwoods International, which specializes in the effect of tourism advertising, said the Pure Michigan ad campaign attracted 2.4 million people from the Great Lakes region in 2013 and then another 1.6 million from markets across the nation. The report indicated a record $1.2 billion in tourist spending for the year. The state spent $13 million on the Pure Michigan campaign in 2013, with at least 5,000 ads running on 25 cable television channels. The study indicated the $13 million spent on the campaign resulted in $86.5 million in tax revenues to the state. The state therefore receives $6.66 for every dollar contributed to the campaign, up from $5.76 in 2012. In the 2014 campaign, the state will advertise in the Toronto market for the first time, and will begin to establish a market in China. The campaign also plans to increase its presence in Great Britain and Germany.

posted by PAA Online , Friday, March 14, 2014 11:48 AM
LINK DIRECTLY TO THIS ARTICLE

This Week's Newsletter

Past Newsletters