Union Township in Isabella County received a “four-star” community rating for growth earlier this year from a program at the University of Michigan, but the honor is less significant than appears. In fact, the township is by some measures below average in fostering entrepreneur-driven growth. This should concern township leaders and residents.
Township officials mentioned the award on their website, and trustees discussed it at their Feb. 11 meeting. It came from College of Business at the University of Michigan-Dearborn — specifically, the eCities program in the iLabs Center for Innovation. The eCities program gives communities benchmarks of performance for “creating inviting business environments and encouraging entrepreneurial growth.” It most recently evaluated 277 communities across 54 Michigan counties. Union Township performed below average in eight of the 11 measurements and above average on only three.
The eCities analysis looked at a 5-year period, from 2020 to 2024. It included property values, governmental assets, and property tax rates on businesses, allowing the team to compare local governments to each other.
The top one-third of communities in the analysis received five stars, while the next third received four stars, according to a university representative. Local officials may be comforted by a four-star recognition, and they may publicly highlight it even if — as in the case of Union Township — their municipality performed worse than average on most measurements.
At a Charter Union Township Board of Trustees meeting, as shown in a video clip, a trustee called the recognition “really exciting.” The township manager said that the rating “demonstrates that we are committed and actively working in the economic development arena.” He talked about preparing a press release to send to the local newspaper and how officials have pushed out the news to area residents.
Despite the warm reception officials gave the rating, Union Township underperformed. It underperformed in eight of the 11 measurements of local economic growth.
These numbers do not suggest a community that deserves top recognition. Elsewhere, the Mackinac Center for Public Policy has also pointed out measures, including changes in population, comparative tax valuations and construction permitting, that suggest a stagnating township. Local officials have stifled growth, though they could reverse that trend by adopting Mackinac Center’s recommendations for reform.
Even official data presented at the March 25 trustee meeting shows the township largely unchanged over time. The value of all commercial, industrial and utility construction as a “percentage of total construction value” was less in 2025 than it was in 2020, when the township brought on a new economic development official. There was a spike in 2023, but that was likely caused by building a new county jail, not new private business activity.
Union Township’s recent four-star designation from eCities, in short, may overstate the township’s economic performance; trustees should be cautious in taking confidence from it. The eCities methodology and rating system point to underwhelming results, not a stellar record.
A four-star label may make for a tidy headline, but it is not a substitute for a clear-eyed assessment of economic reality. If eCities benchmarks recognize attractive entrepreneurial environments, Union Township should turn toward reflection rather than celebration.
Other Union Township-related publications from the Mackinac Center for Public Policy:
Union Township Metrics Point to Stagnation, Decline
An Open Letter to Union Township Planning Commission
Open Letter to Union Township Board of Trustees
There’s Something Wrong with Union Township Part 3
There’s Something Wrong with Union Township Part 2
There’s Something Wrong with Union Township Part 1
