We read an article recently (a couple of articles actually) about a local government that has a 1.5-acre lot near the beach that it purchased for $2 million in the last couple of years. Apparently (all we know is what we read in the paper) the Town’s intended use for...

We’ve recently come across some articles that provide some new information about topics we’ve written about before. More evidence of the black tax. There’s more evidence that local government units with more racially and ethnically diverse populations are stuck with...

Why is public infrastructure so much more expensive in the United States than anywhere else? Why has the increase in cost of public infrastructure so far outstripped the increase in general price levels, or even the costs of direct construction inputs? We came across...

We recently reviewed a GFOA post from May titled “Should We Rethink Reserves.” We wrote previously on the importance of fund balance, but the GFOA article encourages a more granular analysis of reserve levels than we have discussed. As the need for local governments...

Just about every community in North Carolina now agrees that it has a housing problem. In most cases, it’s a need for housing across the board. There are several recognized ways for local governments to provide direct assistance to undertakings to develop persons of...

It’s that time of year when lawyers for local governments will get letters, signed by their clients, asking for a report to the auditor. Information from the attorneys is important to an auditor’s evaluation of the client’s financial statements, especially as to...

I came across an interesting paper on the redevelopment of the City and Port of Copenhagen. There are many specific projects and techniques that won’t apply in the United States, but a few of my takeaways that might: If the local government itself owns unused or...

A recent report from the NC Chamber Foundation indicates that thousands of North Carolinians are leaving the workforce, forgoing professional advancement, losing work hours, or passing on work-related education or training because of the lack of affordable quality...

We wrote about Senate Bill 99 back in March, and a new version of that bill is back on the move in the General Assembly. As we said back in March, no one in the legislature needs to care what we think is good policy about bond referenda. But as bond lawyers, we want...

Sprucing up downtown often includes projects like streetscape improvements, or street work to improve circulation (and fix up the utilities while we’re at it), and improved parking, bike lanes, and other services. We are so used to using installment financing for...