The financial condition of local governments (villages, towns, townships, cities; fire, water, sewer, school districts; and counties) is of vital concern to all citizens, especially in these difficult financial times. Are you getting the most from your tax dollar? This book provides citizens, groups, and government employees with step-by-step guidance that goes far beyond bond ratings, to assess the short, medium, and long-term financial condition of local government. Written by the author of Local Government Budgeting in Georgia and We Only Pay the Bills (a study of Virginia's state and local debt), this is a must read for anyone concerned with local government financial condition. Whether you are thinking of your family's future, moving your business, or expanding an existing business, the information in this book will allow you to make a rational judgement, devoid of romance and hyperbole. What is 'non-debt debt' and how does it impact taxes? Is my government using one-shot fixes to cover long-term problems that will cost me in the future? This guide provides the methods and public sources of data needed to make an assessment.

This system for monitoring and reporting financial trends is a must-have tool for the manager or finance director when resources are running short

A step-by-step explanation of local government accounting and how to analyze the financial reports government issues to assess fiscal stability and sustainability. Includes consideration of external factors (economic, demographic, and trends) and internal factors (management capacity and political will) to assess local government financial condition

Local governments cannot avoid fiscal stress completely because they have relatively little control over the many economic and demographic factors that influence their revenues and expenditures, therefore, their budgets. What local governments can do, however, is to prepare for fiscal stress, recognize the signs of fiscal stress, and respond promptly to their consequences. The purpose of this book is to provide the tools to help you recognize the onset of fiscal stress and to suggest ways to prepare for and respond to it.

Fiscal Health for Local Governments offers a how-to approach to identifying and solving financial problems. Its principal selling point lies in its assumptions: instead of using the vocabulary and research agendas of economist, finance scholars, and political scientists, it will appeal to readers who lack sophisticated knowledge in these areas and nevertheless need practical advice. The book stems from the Fiscal Health Education Program, an applied economics program at the University of Minnesota. It uses three measures of fiscal health — financial condition, trend analysis, and financial trend monitoring system — as the basis for advocating particular fiscal strategies. The book examines the tools that can be used to assess the condition of a local government's fiscal health and some of the policy causes or remedies for certain situations, as well as some of the strategies governments can pursue to maintain and improve health. It will serve as a primer for readers interested in understanding financial processes and alternatives, and as a practical guide for those who need access to fiscal measurement tools. How-to approach will appeal to readers who lack sophisticated knowledge Contains discussion questions and anonymous case studies of actual cities and municipalities Presents practical methods for identifying and solving common fiscal problems

Understanding Municipal Fiscal Health provides an in-depth assessment of the fiscal health of cities throughout the United States. The book examines the tools currently available to cities for designing a revenue structure, measuring fiscal conditions and measuring fiscal health. It explains how artificial policies such as tax and expenditure limitations influence fiscal policies, and how communities can overcome socioeconomic and state-policy barriers to produce strong fiscal conditions. The authors go beyond simple theory to analyze patterns of fiscal health using actual financial, demographic and TEL data from an accurate data source, the Government Financial Officers Association survey. The book offers a solid basis of empirical evidence including quantitative case studies—complete with discussion questions—to help practitioners better understand the environment in which they are functioning and the policy tools they need to help advocate for change. This book teaches the reader the science and art of municipal financial analysis, and will be invaluable for local and state officials, analysts, and students and researchers.