Public Finance Update
Colorado Expands Unemployment Insurance—And Others Are Watching Closely
Colorado’s low-cost approach to getting benefits out the door quickly could provide a model for adapting or modernizing public assistance programs elsewhere.
How One County Fixed Its Broken Property Tax System
Property taxes are considered the ultimate “fair” tax. But that fairness hinges on the assumption that homes are being assessed accurately, regularly and thoroughly.
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.
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.
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.
Real-Time Data on What Muni Bond Investors Think of Your City
A new data tool offers a window into how investors are responding to changes affecting the financial outlook of individual governments, including trends like the rise of remote work.
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.
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.
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.
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.
How Cryptocurrency Could Help to 'Crowdfund' Public Projects
The idea of leaning on the emerging technology to issue municipal bonds in small denominations has the potential to benefit governments and investors alike. But can the muni market adapt?
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