Finance
Managing public finance has become a demanding aspect of state and local government, especially as economic health fluctuates and outside forces create revenue instability. Articles on taxes, budgets, pensions and bonds help to bring insight to finance management at the state and local level.
Federal officials said $4.65 billion from SNAP reserves will be released to meet a court order, but warned states may face weeks of delays processing partial benefits.
As Congress considers a possible second round of coronavirus relief funds, many companies are wondering about the efficiency of the Payment Protection Program if there were errors in their first round of loans.
Amid calls to reduce police funding, a recent report from the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics shows that in 2017, police spending per capita recovered to its pre-recession peak after years of steady increases.
The House Appropriations Committee has approved billions of dollars for the 2021 fiscal year budget. There is a wide range of expenses that cover many types of technology, including broadband and artificial intelligence.
The emergency has underlined outdated procedures and rules that hamper effective, efficient public purchasing. There are principles for creating better systems that can outlast the current crisis.
Washington's wrangling over the politics of public education will put our kids and communities at risk unless politicians face up to fiscal and physical realities. They need to get it done now.
Mitch McConnell is expected to introduce new legislation next week for another relief package that would include a second round of stimulus checks for Americans. But they might not be as generous as the first round.
Gov. Justice was asked to use a ‘cautious’ spending approach when it came to the $1.25 billion that the state received after he announced plans to devote $100 million of the COVID-19 funds towards highway repairs.
Gov. Jim Justice reallocated half of the funds that were going to the Division of Highways to broadband expansion. But health officials and lawmakers are concerned that none of the money is going to health departments.
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To help contain the virus and keep people safe, the pandemic drove an urgent need for consistent and trustworthy information from government leaders.
The state’s approved budget protects teachers from layoffs for now. But the state also approved a law that hopes to ensure high educational standards as many school districts consider remote learning for the fall.
The $1.5 trillion plan aims to fix roads and bridges, upgrade transit systems and expand railways and ports. The bill will also give $100 billion to broadband expansion and $25 billion to the U.S. Postal Service.
As they rebuild their education, health-care and tax systems after the devastation of COVID-19, they can take important steps that can significantly narrow income and wealth disparities.
Despite federal scaremongering about state and local pensions, the problem for now isn't their balance sheets. It's the budget vise that is likely to tempt some public employers to cut funding corners.
In April, Gov. Newsom launched an initiative to increase COVID-19 testing accessibility for rural towns and disadvantaged neighborhoods. The state will no longer fund new testing sites, even as infections increase.
The fiscal year begins in most states and cities on July 1. Without further federal aid, many will have to re-examine just-passed budgets for cuts down the road.
Nearly half a million residents currently live without high-speed Internet. As people work and learn from home, there is an urgency for connectivity. “Education cannot be effective or available without broadband.”
As Wyoming faces its largest revenue decline in state history, Gov. Gordon asks departments to plan for a 20 percent cut to budgets while some lawmakers are worried the stimulus money isn’t being used fast enough.
Charter schools in New Orleans have applied for federal loans through the Payroll Protection Program, receiving anywhere from $97,000 to $5.1 million. Public schools are ineligible for the same loans.
Trump wants to cut $127 million from the Biological Threat Reduction Program and redirect the funding toward “more pressing defense initiatives.” Bipartisan concerns have been raised about the proposal.
The program, a cluster of tax loopholes, is making fat cats fatter without doing much about racial inequities and urban joblessness. There are ways to reform it to benefit those it was touted to help.
The city council has approved a slimmer budget as the city expects a $103 million revenue loss for the upcoming fiscal year. Notably, the proposal cuts $23 million that typically goes to law enforcement.
Protestors are calling for cities to ‘defund the police,’ but the odds of that happening are low. Philadelphia will be watching to see what happens in Minneapolis as the city considers such a move.
The Baltimore City Council must review the $3 billion budget amid the coronavirus-induced recession, a recent ransomware attack, and protests over police brutality. Many foresee budget cuts and reallocations.
The largest amount of the state’s CARES Act money will be used to provide renters, workers and business owners financial relief. Then the state will give to rural hospitals where patient loads dropped significantly.
The city council approved the relief package, in hopes to stimulate job training, housing assistance, small businesses and expand broadband to the 60 percent of residents who currently don’t have access.
Rural America won't like it, but there are good arguments for Congress to provide direct aid to public transit systems and to municipalities that rely heavily on the hospitality taxes vacationers pay.
Fears of spreading the coronavirus have discouraged cash transactions and increased the number of card and online payments. But cashless transactions aren’t germ-proof, and for many poor families, cash is all they have.
Maryland’s county officials want to add body cameras to the next proposed budget, hoping to provide transparency and accountability in the wake of George Floyd’s death. The cameras will add $4 million to the budget.
The Pittsburgh Port Authority was notified of the award through a tweet from President Trump and accompanying news release. But, officials delayed celebration until confirming the money was actually for them.
Houston transit officials predict that the city could experience a $102 million loss from a drop in sales tax revenue. Even though the state began reopening in early May, bus and train use has remained at less than half.
