Finance
Funding for WIC food assistance remains uncertain amid budget fight
As food costs increase, more women than expected have been signing up for the program. Without increased funding, states may have to turn women and their children away.
Traffic tickets can be profitable, and fairness isn’t the bottom line in city courts where judges impose the fines
COMMENTARY | Research shows police officers issue more traffic tickets and judges impose more fines when their city gets the money and when the budget is tight. But if states change the rules about who keeps the money, the incentives for revenue maximization go away.
Should states and localities be worried about the U.S. downgrade?
Or about the possibility of another one amid the budget showdown in Congress? Fitch Ratings’ decision to knock the federal government’s credit rating down a notch last month doesn’t directly affect state and local credit quality. But it’s a warning shot.
Low-income water assistance program set to end
Advocates are pushing to extend the program as poverty rates in the U.S. are on rise, an increase attributed to the end of other expanded pandemic benefits for food, rent and unemployment.
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Eliminate Manual Processes Route and Approve Invoices from Anywhere
Today’s finance teams carry a heavy burden, supporting everything from growth strategies to long-term planning – all while continuously delivering monthly and quarterly numbers and keeping cash flowing. But even as demands on finance departments grow, many still spend excessive time using paper, spreadsheets, and e-mails to process vendor invoices, approvals, and payments.
Are tax incentives boons or boondoggles?
Though there’s lots of evidence that the economic development tool may not be effective, it is still in wide use. Fortunately, there are ways to control the potential waste of taxpayer dollars.
Crunch time in Congress could hit state and local programs
The legislative logjam on Capitol Hill is backing up everything from child care to disaster funding. Plus, more news to use from around the country in this week's State and Local Roundup.
Treasury expands the uses of ARPA funding
Under interim rules, the federal agency would allow state and local governments to spend coronavirus relief money on natural disasters, additional transportation projects and housing, among other uses.
Transit agencies scramble to piece together funding as ‘fiscal cliff’ looms
Ridership in San Francisco and New York remains below pre-pandemic levels. As the end of federal aid nears, these agencies are racing to shore up funding.
An emerging ‘greenium’? New research says green bonds cost governments less
Amid an ESG backlash in some states, the finding could lead to more governments seeking an ESG-related label for bonds that will fund socially or environmentally sustainable projects.
How one city is looking to future-proof its budgeting process
Nationwide, cities are attempting to improve their budgeting. But none appear to be taking more dramatic steps than fast-growing Fort Worth, Texas.
Under new state law, Texas will bill electric vehicle drivers an extra $200 a year
The new registration fee is meant to make up for the state’s lost revenue from gasoline taxes that are used to pay for road construction and maintenance.
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