Congress Moving Ahead on New State and Local Government Financial Reporting Rules
The new requirements, tacked on to a must-pass defense bill, call for financial data to be standardized, machine-readable and searchable. State and local advocates argue the plan is an “unfunded mandate” that will create significant costs.
Child Care is Broken. Here’s How Governments are Trying to Fix it
From helping fund day care centers, to providing subsidies to care workers and families, states and localities are spending millions on what has become a crisis for the nation and its workforce.
D.C. Would be Biggest City Yet to Make Bus Rides Free
The Washington, D.C. Council is set to vote on a plan next week that would drop the $2 fare for riders on the local bus system. It mirrors programs smaller U.S. cities have adopted in recent years.
Inflation Is Cutting Into States’ Big Infrastructure Windfall
The costs of road and bridge projects have increased by as much as 40%.
Many Applications for $1B Economic Development Program Had a Missing Element
New research finds a notable gap in proposals from the 60 finalists for the Build Back Better Regional Challenge.
Federal Watchdog Calls for National Online Sales Tax Standards
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have shown interest in the idea. But any plan along these lines is sure to draw skepticism from states and localities worried about ceding their power over tax policy.
A Plan to Use City Property for Affordable Housing
Boston is on track to open up dozens of parcels to developers early next year, while also offering residents direct aid to help with home-purchasing costs.
This Midwestern City Plans to Wipe Out Residents’ Medical Debt
The new program follows a similar one launched in Cook County, Illinois earlier this year.
Borrowing to Backfill Public Pensions Makes a Comeback
Low interest rates made the potentially risky and often criticized practice more attractive. But then the stock market plummeted, complicating the outlook for some places that took on the debt.
Voters in One State Approve a Tax on Millionaires
And in another they eliminated tax breaks for higher earners. But national trends with ballot initiatives to tax the wealthy are mixed overall this year and hard to interpret.
High Stakes for Transportation in Governors Races
Incoming governors will have big decisions to make about roads and transit and how projects are paid for.
Should Homeowners or Cities Maintain Sidewalks?
Denver voters are set to weigh in on the question in next week’s election, while also deciding on a tax that could help pay for sidewalk upgrades.
2 Practical Approaches to More Equitable Government Spending
It's been over two years since policy-makers began to redouble equity efforts with state and local budgets and programs. Here's a look at where things stand with some of that work.
A Fight Over How Tax Hikes are Passed at the Ballot Box
A proposal before Arizona voters would change the threshold for approving tax initiatives from a simple majority to 60%. Is it a check on outside groups funding tax-and-spend measures? Or a hit to citizens' power to approve new funding for their priorities?
A City Asks Residents to Vote on Which Infrastructure Projects to Fund
Denver is turning to “participatory budgeting” to decide how it will use a small slice of its budget for public works projects.
The States That Still Owe Billions in Federal Unemployment Loans
They took on the debt after Covid hit. If they don’t repay it soon, it will mean tax hikes for businesses. Republicans are knocking Democratic governors who’ve let the balances linger.
How Treasurers Are Using Tech to Return Lost Funds to Residents
COMMENTARY | Technology is making it faster, easier and simpler for states to return unclaimed property.
What the Housing Market Slowdown Will Mean for Property Taxes
Red hot home sales during the pandemic have cooled and that could have consequences for one of the main revenues local governments rely on. But the outlook varies place to place.
Cities and States Bristle Over Proposal to Change How They Report on Finances
Congress is weighing a plan that calls for overhauling how state and local government financial data is made public, stirring worries about new costs for software and staff. But supporters of the revamp say it’s long overdue.
Treasury Shuts Down Helpline for States and Localities
Due to a funding crunch left unaddressed by Congress, the department is phasing out phone and email services to field questions about billions in pandemic aid.
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