City of Mt. Pleasant Recognized for Supporting Business in their Community

The City of Mt. Pleasant has been named a 2024 eCities Honored Community for its successes and efforts in contributing to Michigan’s growth. The designation was given as part of the annual eCities study, conducted by iLabs, the University of Michigan-Dearborn’s Office of Engagement and Impact. The four other Honored Communities are the cities of Battle Creek, Romulus, Sault Ste. Marie, and Tecumseh.

According to City Manager Aaron Desentz, “This eCities recognition is tangible evidence that the City of Mt. Pleasant continues to focus on all forms of economic development, while enhancing capital assets through improved roads and pathways. To be recognized out of a field of 277 communities is an honor.”

The eCities study analyzed publicly available data from 277 communities from 54 counties in Michigan. Researchers focused on the five-year changes in property values, community assets, and tax rates, which can demonstrate the growth, investments, and cost of doing business within the community. For example, over the five-year period of 2019-2023, these communities increased their capital assets by an average of 3.71 percent per year by investments such as new buildings, roads and bike paths, and library renovations. Further, these places are home to 86 percent of Michigan’s real commercial property and have 64 percent of the state’s total property value. Communities that have seen the strongest growth in business development over the past five years, while controlling the costs of doing business in town, are designated as five- and four-star communities.

Although accounting for less than 20 percent of the State’s cities and townships, the 277 communities analyzed are home to 71 percent of Michigan’s population and 87 percent of the state’s commercial property. “Each year, we enjoy recognizing the efforts made by cities and townships throughout Michigan to support business growth and entrepreneurship in their communities,” said Kari Kowalski, Assistant Director of iLabs.

City of Mt. Pleasant Recognized for Supporting Business in their Community

The City of Mt. Pleasant has been recognized for its success and effort in contributing to Michigan’s entrepreneurial growth and economic development in the annual eCities study conducted by researchers at iLabs, University of Michigan-Dearborn’s Center for Innovation Research. Mt. Pleasant was honored as a four-star community along with 90 other communities across the state. This is the sixth time the City has been recognized by UM-Dearborn.

According to City Manager Aaron Desentz, “This eCities recognition is tangible evidence that the City of Mt. Pleasant continues to focus on all forms of economic development, including growth in the entrepreneurial arena. It is an honor for our city to be recognized in this way.”

The eCities study analyzed publicly available data from 277 communities from 54 counties in Michigan. Researchers focused on the five-year changes in property values, community assets, and tax rates, which can demonstrate the growth, investments and cost of doing business within the community. For example, over the five-year period of 2016-2020, these communities increased their capital assets by an average of 2.9 percent per year by investments such as park facilities, emergency vehicles, water, and sewage infrastructure projects, while property tax rates increased by less than 3 percent on average per year.

Although accounting for less than 20 percent of the State’s cities and townships, the 277 communities analyzed are home to 71 percent of Michigan’s population and 86 percent of the state’s commercial property. “Each year, the eCities project aims to highlight the successes and continued commitment of cities and townships to grow business and support entrepreneurship within their communities,” said Kari Kowalski, iLabs project manager.

UM-Dearborn’s iLabs’ recognizes City of Mt. Pleasant for supporting business in their community

The City of Mt. Pleasant has been recognized for its successes and efforts in contributing to Michigan’s entrepreneurial growth and economic development in the annual eCities study conducted by researchers at iLabs, University of Michigan-Dearborn’s Center for Innovation Research. Mt. Pleasant was honored as a four-star community along with 94 other communities across the state. This is the fifth time the City has been recognized by UM-Dearborn.

According to City Manager Nancy Ridley, “We are pleased the City of Mt. Pleasant is receiving this recognition for the fifth time. Economic development is only successful when both public and private sector leaders work together and realize the importance of consistent and quality growth to our community. This designation is an indicator of that dedication and commitment.”

The 2020 eCities study analyzed publicly available data from 277 communities from 54 counties in Michigan. Researchers focused on the five-year changes in property values, community assets, and tax rates, which can demonstrate the growth, investments and cost of doing business within the community. For example, over the five-year period of 2015-2019, these communities increased their capital assets by an average of 2.4 percent per year by investments such as library equipment, building, water, and sewage improvements, and street renovations, while property tax rates increased by less than 1 percent on average per year.

Although accounting for less than 20 percent of the State’s cities and townships, the 277 communities analyzed are home to 70 percent of Michigan’s population and 87 percent of the state’s commercial property. “Each year, the eCities project aims to highlight the successes and continued commitment of cities and townships to grow business and support entrepreneurship within their communities,” said Kari Kowalski, iLabs project manager.