Opinion | Strengthening rural governance in Michigan

Data centers, solar farms, megasites for manufacturing. Some of Michigan’s biggest news headlines point to game-changing economic trends like these with the potential for huge statewide impacts. 

But behind these headlines is another story, about the communities they’re centered in. It’s a story about how these and other Michigan communities are grappling with large-scale change — without the resources, plans, staff or training needed to prepare for them.  

Since 2022, the Michigan Office of Rural Prosperity has been privileged to work with rural leaders who are some of Michigan’s most capable, committed and resilient public servants. They are village managers who also mow parks, superintendents who double as grant administrators, nonprofit directors who run entire regional programs on part-time hours and volunteers who step in when no formal staff exists. 

They are smart, strong, and scrappy — operating in increasingly complex and volatile environments, juggling local emergencies, compliance obligations, grant deadlines, community expectations and day-to-day administrative tasks. They are working on tiny budgets with limited, or no, staff. And they are smack-dab in the center of some of the biggest, most consequential changes of our generation. 

These constraints leave rural communities little time for planning, training, community engagement or leadership development. Yet these are the very foundations of local governance. Without them, we see communities experience division and distrust, failed projects and unstable finances. 

Local controversies around development are often rooted in governance issues. Without community assessments and a shared vision, it’s difficult to agree on what development is needed or how to move projects forward. And when engagement, communication and procedures are inconsistent, trust erodes — fueling conflict, stalled progress and leadership turnover. 

This chain of events is no reflection on the competence of rural community leaders, it reflects complex, structural pressures in community governance — like municipal finance, grant making, public and nonprofit administration salaries and the heated public rhetoric around government today. 

Long-term, with sustained advocacy and thoughtful strategy, policy solutions may address some of those structural pressures. In the short term, communities urgently need support and tools, resources, plans, training and leadership capacity that will prepare them for unprecedented, unpredictable change. 

Rural Prosperity’s programs and partnerships show how we can provide that support with small investments in governance capacity. Our programs focus on four community building blocks: assessments, visioning and plans; staff, leadership and expertise; community engagement andcollaboration, and project financing and management. Solutions are tailored to individual communities and are developed by or together with local partners. 

In just three years, the $13 return on investment for every $1 we’ve provided has resulted in a profound impact on issues as far-ranging as behavioral health, housing, transportation and child care in 70 Michigan counties. Our Rural Readiness grants, totaling $1.8 million, resulted in an additional $23 million in grants statewide, and our direct support to communities has launched engagement initiatives, regional collaboration and new partnerships that are changing community dynamics for the long-term. 

Governor Whitmer’s FY27 Executive Budget recommendations propose to build on this success with an additional $2.3 million for Rural Readiness programming, along with $4 million for Rural Development Fund grants.

The importance of these continued investments can’t be overstated, because the decisions being made in rural communities will shape Michigan’s future for generations. Across rural Michigan, communities are making real-time decisions about where wind and solar projects are built, how farmland is preserved and food is produced, how roads, water systems, and housing keep up with growth, and how new employers reshape small towns — those same areas with limited resources to respond.

We need to move beyond treating structural, systemic struggles in rural Michigan as isolated examples. We must help communities prepare for fast, unpredictable change with strong governance. Not just in rural communities, but all over Michigan.

The Office of Rural Prosperity is inspired by progress we’ve seen communities make with small investments and targeted support. Together, we can rebuild trust, strengthen partnerships and plan with purpose — ensuring investments in rural Michigan expand opportunity, drive growth and create shared prosperity for all Michiganders.