State and Local Finances Under Pressure

State and Local Finances Under Pressure PDF

Author: David L. Sjoquist

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

Published: 2003-01-01

Total Pages: 358

ISBN-13: 9781781008522

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State and Local Finances under Pressure explores the future of state and local government fiscal systems given the numerous pressures they face from economic, legal, technological, demographic and political forces. It explores how these multiple forces play out in terms of the changes state and local governments should and are likely to make. The contributors argue that state and local governments must make substantial changes and that failure to act is likely to result in adverse effects and increasing pressures for modifications that are more difficult to implement and more politically unpalatable. Without reform, state and local fiscal systems will grow increasingly out of sync with economic reality. The authors suggest that government responses are likely to be evolutionary, but that in 25 years the recorded changes will be substantial. The first chapter provides a historic perspective of state and local fiscal trends. Each of the subsequent chapters describes the nature of one of the pressures state and local governments face including: political and legal forces, globalization of business, demographic and technological changes, deregulation of utilities, and urban sprawl. Policymakers, economists, political scientists, fiscal policy analysts and public administrators will find this comprehensive book of interest.

Fiscal Stress and the Allocation of Expenditure Responsibilities Between State and Local Governments

Fiscal Stress and the Allocation of Expenditure Responsibilities Between State and Local Governments PDF

Author: Benedict S. Jimenez

Publisher:

Published: 2016

Total Pages: 35

ISBN-13:

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This article examines the intergovernmental dimension of state fiscal stress. Using data from 1980-2005 and covering 47 U.S. states, the study answers two questions. First, does fiscal stress experienced at the state level reduce state governments' expenditure responsibilities vis-à-vis the local public sector? Second, what functional responsibilities are implicitly devolved to local governments or centralized at the state level as a consequence of declining state fiscal condition? Three general frameworks are used to explain how the fiscal condition of states can affect state-local fiscal relations - fiscal federalism, the politics or interest group perspective, and the organizational model of fiscal slack.

Local Government Response to Fiscal Pressure and Stress

Local Government Response to Fiscal Pressure and Stress PDF

Author: Kingstone Kozanai Sukuta

Publisher:

Published: 1982

Total Pages: 166

ISBN-13:

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"This thesis studies local government behavior or response in times of fiscal stress and pressure. In this particular case, fiscal stress is a situation whereby externally imposed tax cuts require strin-gent fiscal limitation on local government expenditure revenues. Local governments in Washington State have faced externally im-posed property tax cuts for the past eight years. The state legislature, in attempting to provide tax relief to property owners, passed an omnibus property tax relief bill in the 1971 Extraordinary Session. The property tax relief package included a tax levy limitation which restricted the amount levy revenue may be increased in any year. Local taxing districts were permitted no more than six percent increase per year plus assess-ments against new construction. The scope of my study involves a brief historical review of property tax cuts imposed on local government by state egislatures, courts, and state constitutions throughout the country. Factors that contribute to greater state control over local fiscal affairs using prop-erty tax limitation measure have been identified and analyzed utilizing available literature. An attempt has been made to show how local fiscal flexibility has been undermined by such measures. To demonstrate the effect and impact of tax limitation measures on local government, a case review has been conducted by analyzing the 106 percent legislative limitation. An appraisal of the aggregate impact on local government property tax revenues throughout the State of Washington has been conducted. Available literature and the City of Spokane has been used to demonstrate how local governments behave or respond under such spending limitations"--Document.

Handbook of Local Government Fiscal Health

Handbook of Local Government Fiscal Health PDF

Author: Helisse Levine

Publisher: Jones & Bartlett Publishers

Published: 2012

Total Pages: 574

ISBN-13: 0763792306

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Fiscal health of local governments and municipalities has remained an important issue since the crises of the 1970s in places like New York, Philadelphia and Cleveland. More recently, the bankruptcy of Orange County California raised the possibility of a different type of financial failure than earlier ones. The beginning of the 21st century has witnessed two major economic bubbles including the dotcom and housing bubbles. These economic cycles combined with increasing health care, pension and other structural costs continue to challenge the fiscal viability of many jurisdictions. In particular, the economic and financial crisis of 2007-2008 is likely to result in potentially serious fiscal challenges for local jurisdictions.