Elected officials across North America are grappling with budget shortfalls and financial uncertainty. Pasadena, California is only one example. Last year, their expenses increased by 13.8% but revenues only rose 0.6%. If things are going to improve, city officials need to take a new approach.
Read MoreParks and recreation departments handle a lot more programs and face a lot more challenges than many people may realize. So, here are a few things that newly elected officials should know about this department as they step into their role.
Read MoreFor a city, being in good financial condition isn't just about having good reporting practices and not defaulting on debt payments. It's about fulfilling responsibilities and providing a good quality of life to residents.
Read MoreIn this episode of the Strong Towns Podcast, Chuck discusses municipal finance with Michel Durand-Wood, a longtime Strong Towns contributor and local budget aficionado.
Read MoreMaumee, Ohio, winner of the 2024 Strongest Town Contest, is facing a big sewer infrastructure challenge — and it’s not alone. In this episode, Chuck explains the history of sewer infrastructure, how the Clean Water Act affects cities across North America and the very limited options cities have to handle this kind of challenge.
Read MoreHouston’s fiscal problems are less critical than other major cities with large budget shortfalls—yet, their mayor is correct when he said his city is broke, that the financial approach of the city is clearly not working. Here’s why.
Read MoreHow do we get philanthropy involved in community building, and how do we make good investments in our cities and towns? How do we access federal programs and bigger resources effectively?
Read More“Is this a good project, or will it set up my city for financial insolvency??” Here’s how to find out.
Read MoreIf we’re not paying attention, it can be hard to tell whether a city is using debt to simply to smooth out cashflows, or if it’s just covering up insolvency. Here are four telltale signs of the latter scenario.
Read MoreFor local governments, it’s often easier to let the tangled web of debt at the heart of the budget go unexplored. In cities reliant on sales tax, these problems are only magnified.
Read MoreAt a glance, the sales tax is a nearly invisible revenue source that is also a cash cow. Yet, for local governments, it is the most distorting of taxes. Here’s why.
Read More10 years ago, PennDOT promised that two new highway ramps in Chester, PA, would produce “an explosion of economic development.” Now, the city is filing for bankruptcy.
Read MoreThe town council in Castle Rock, CO, received a shocking briefing at a recent meeting: that their single, mid-sized region within a single, mid-sized state has accrued almost a billion dollars of debt. But how?
Read MoreStrong Towns interviews Dr. Christopher Berry, of the University of Chicago, on how we can begin making meaningful changes to the U.S.’s broken property tax system.
Read MoreThere are some obvious anomalies that are being overlooked in the property tax assessment system. Joe Minicozzi of Urban3 pulls back the curtain in this episode of the Strong Towns Podcast.
Read MoreAs an ad hoc committee recently discovered, owners of higher-valued properties are more likely to receive a tax break…simply because of bad data.
Read MoreDon’t be fooled: Winnipeg’s newly proposed “rapid transit” project is actually a road-widening project in disguise. And it aims to borrow money so the City can destroy millions of dollars of its own tax base.
Read MoreStreets can be about many things, but unless they are building wealth for the community, they won’t survive. Period.
Read MoreWe expect city budgets and financial reports to inform citizens and community leaders alike, but in reality, local government accounting is unnecessarily complicated, confusing, and illogical.
Read MoreThis case shows why local governments need to do a better job accounting for maintenance costs.
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