Funding Ratios for City Government Multi-Employer Plans Don’t Get the Attention that Goes to Single Employer Plans Breakdown by Pension Plan Type While most government watchdogs focus heavily on single employer public pension plans accountable only to a single city, ...
Cities
Mapping Prosperity in America’s Cities
By Jeffrey L Garceau Moving the nation’s economy forward is a joint effort of governments and business at all levels. Municipal efforts on the whole do not get enough national attention. By building strong communities and cities, we make our country stronger....
Assessing the Credit Quality of America’s Cities – Part Four: FY 2014 Financial Condition
The most basic sign that a government is living within its means is that it balances its books at the end of the year. Traditionally, most city officials, experts, and observers of state and local government focus primarily on the general fund, usually a government's...
Assessing the Credit Quality of America’s Cities – Part Three: Long-Term Liabilities beyond Pensions
By Richard A. Ciccarone City Financial Challenges Beyond Pensions When Assessing the Credit Quality of America's Cities, pensions aren't the only big long term liability facing America's cities. Add to the list bonded indebtedness, other post-employment benefits...
Assessing the Credit Quality of America’s Cities – Part Two: The Achilles Heel to the Fiscal Condition of Cities – Public Pensions
In the second part of our series on city credit quality, the spotlight shifts to the Achilles heel for many cities: public pensions. by Richard A. Ciccarone Governmental credit quality is a byproduct of both the underlying economy and the cumulative...
Do Sports Teams and Venues Have a Significant Impact on Local Economies?
by Mardee Handler The economic benefit of major league sports teams, international mega-events and sport venues has become a particularly contentious public finance issue over the past few decades, according to Robert Baade, Ph.D., Professor of Economics and Business...
Consolidated City-County Governments Can Benefit Local Economies
by Mardee Handler, managing editor The journey for the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas officially began on April 1, 1997, when voters approved a measure to consolidate the governments of the City of Kansas City, Kansas and Wyandotte...
The Growth and Decline of Local Governments in the U.S.
Illinois has the most local governments of any U.S. state, according to preliminary data released in the 2012 Census of Governments. Hawaii has the fewest. The U.S. Census Bureau conducts the Census of Governments every five years - for years ending in “2” and “7” -...
Which U.S. States Are Poised for the Greatest Population Growth?
by guest contributor, Peter Fugiel, Ph.D. Perhaps the single most important characteristic of the U.S. population in the 21st century is its rapid growth, expected to continue for at least the next two decades. As the trend continues, the most impressive story is in...
Cities May Face Long Road to Recovery
Metro areas across the U.S. are seeing a glimmer of economic progress – but most still face a long, uphill climb toward a full recovery, according to a report released by IHS Global Insight as part of the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ U.S. Metro Economies...