We will collect audited financial and socioeconomic data for a large sample of local governments between 2008 and 2016 to create a fiscal scoring system for cities and counties based on our previous work, work done by Pew and the leading academics. City and county scores will be reported on a...

The Great Recession produced a wave of fiscal crises in American cities and counties. In addition to the high profile bankruptcies in Vallejo, Stockton, San Bernardino, many local governments were compelled to declare fiscal emergencies, raise tax rates, lay off or furlough workers, and...

For the fourth time since 1997, a web-based survey of fiscal health was administered to administrative officials of Wisconsin cities and villages during the summer of 2010. A total of 195 municipalities responded to the survey. Of those administrative officials responding, 53 percent reported...

In this article, we use data on Wisconsin school referenda over the 1991– 2004 period to examine how changes in education finance affected school referenda activity. Beginning in 1996–1997, state officials in Wisconsin altered the average state share of school costs from about...

The impact of state tax and expenditure limitations (TELs) on bond credit ratings is estimated using an incomplete (or unbalanced) panel from the US states from 1973 to 2005. Three indices of the restrictiveness of TELs are used. Both Moody’s and Standard and Poor’s bond credit...

Wisconsin county government officials are facing an almost perfect "fiscal storm." Since 1993, county governments have been operating under property tax rate restrictions and over the past few years levy limits as well--a primary source of locally generated revenues. The structural deficits...

This study examines patterns of total employment growth and growth in the public sector. We use data from the 50 states with a focus on the 1993 to 2004 time period. We define the public sector with respect to state government as well as local government with the latter including counties,...