Top Sales Tax Trends to Watch in 2023
COMMENTARY | The current economic uncertainty will shape state and local government changes to tax policy.
When States Take Over Financially Troubled Local Governments
A recent bankruptcy filing by Chester, Pennsylvania, highlights the limits and difficulties with state programs in dealing with fiscal stress at the municipal level.
Feds Award $315 Million in Grants for Homelessness Programs
Nearly four dozen communities across the country will share in the money.
Congress and Watchdogs Scrutinize Covid Aid Lost to Fraud
Federal officials are still going after fraudsters who siphoned billions from emergency Covid-era programs, while also trying to prevent similar malfeasance in the future. State-managed unemployment programs are one area getting heavy attention.
How the Debt Ceiling Debate Puts State and Local Dollars at Risk
With a battle over federal spending brewing between Republicans and Democrats in Washington, counties and low-income housing advocates are warning of potentially damaging cuts.
Are Mayors Open to Federal Budget Cuts? It Depends Who You Ask
Route Fifty caught up with mayors from around the country to get their views on Republican threats to chop federal spending.
Critics Take Aim at State and Local ARPA Spending on Prisons and Jails
The American Civil Liberties Union is among those raising questions about federal Covid aid from the American Rescue Plan Act going to corrections projects.
A New Initiative Seeks to Help Small Cities Access Infrastructure Funding
The program will work with communities to assemble strong grant applications that can win some of the billions of dollars available.
How a Bankrupt City’s Pension System Hit a Breaking Point
The case of Chester, Pennsylvania involves hidden debt, missing documentation and lots of blame. Route Fifty takes a closer look in this second installment of a three-part series.
Mayors Have Affordable Housing Plans. But Do They Have the Funds?
The short answer is no. But they’re working on it.
Mayors Fret Over Possibility of ARPA Clawbacks
Detroit’s mayor urged others to speed up putting American Rescue Plan Act funds to use and to take special care that spending adheres to federal rules. He's not the only one raising concerns.
Relocation Programs Continue to Grow in Numbers in Rural America
By one count, more than 50 rural communities offer some sort of incentive to entice new residents.
States Put Grocery Taxes on Ice
Two more states are tossing grocery taxes; others are considering it.
A Governor Proposes Slashing His State's Income Tax by Half
The "biggest tax cut in the history of this state" is how he described it. But critics say the hit to revenue, estimated at over $1 billion annually in future years, would further undermine already shortchanged public services.
Market Losses Deal Heavy Dent to State and Local Pensions
Last year saw unfunded liabilities for the nation’s largest public retirement plans climb by roughly a half-trillion dollars.
This Dry January, Consider the Alcohol Excise Tax
Many states have abstained for decades from updating so-called sin taxes applied to wine, beer and liquor. One expert explains why changes could be on the horizon.
EPA Unveils $100 Million in Environmental Justice Grants
The Environmental Protection Agency announcement is part of a larger effort by the Biden administration to fight climate change and curb environmental harm in long-neglected communities.
A Small City's Descent Into Bankruptcy
"By far the worst that we have encountered," is how one person involved in resolving the fiscal mess described it. This first article in a three-part series, looks at how the troubled city's situation resembles another municipal bankruptcy about a decade ago.
The Case for More Federal Oversight of State and Local Budgets
An influential good government group is calling for tighter standards and is out with new recommendations for how Congress and regulators can begin taking action.
'Green Banks,' Poised for Billions in Climate Funds, Draw States' Attention
These banks provide financing for projects from efficient appliances to solar panels.
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