Government Finance Outreach: Is Customizing the Way Forward?

Biswa Das, Bailey Hanson

Chris Seeger, Cindy Kendall

Outline

• What is IGFI? • Indicators• Data management• Customization

IGFI• Funded by Vice President, Extension and Outreach, Iowa State

University• Collaborators –

– Iowa State Auditor– Iowa Department of Management– Iowa league of Cities, Iowa State Association of Counties, Iowa

Council of Government (COG’s) • Mission

– Educational resources– Technical assistance– Research

• Output: Annual Fiscal Conditions Report – cities and counties• Independent and unbiased assessment of city and county fiscal

conditions

Target audience• Elected Officials• Appointed Officials• Planners, Economic Development • Grant writers• Bond attorneys• Interested Iowans• Others

Intended Outcomes• Economically and fiscally viable communities• Short-term and Long-term• Improved awareness and understanding of local fiscal,

economic and demographic conditions• Comparison with peer communities allows relative

assessment • Learning from others experiences• Improved budgeting practices – outcomes versus output • Assist Economic Development efforts• Increase in public trust and accountability of local

governments• Increase in efficiency: productive and allocative

 

City Annual Fiscal Conditions Reports

Data and Indicators

U.S. Census Bureau; Decennial Census– Total Population (2000, 2010)

U.S. Census Bureau; Population Estimates Program– Population Estimates (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014)

Data and Indicators

U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey 5-year Estimates (2009-2013)

– Median Age by Sex– Age Distribution and Population Pyramid– Occupation and Industry– Commuting Characteristics– Household Income Distribution – Median Household Income, Per Capita Income– Income Below Poverty Level– Educational Attainment– Housing Characteristics

Data and IndicatorsU.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey 5-year Estimates (2009-2013)

Data and Indicators

Annual Financial Report FYE (2009-2014)– Individual reports

• Excel • PDF

– Full data set “dump” from the state• Excel

Data and IndicatorsAnnual Financial Report FYE (2009-2014)

– Revenue Shares– Total Revenue Per-Capita– Poverty Tax Per-Capita– Intergovernmental Revenue Per-Capita– User Charges Per-Capita– Actual Ending Fund Balance– Governmental and Proprietary Expenditures Per-Capita– Public Safety Expenditures Per-Capita– Public Works Expenditures Per-Capita– Health and Social Services Expenditures Per-Capita– Culture and Recreation Services Expenditures Per-Capita– Community and Economic Development Expenditures Per-Capita– General Government Expenditures Per-Capita– Debt Services Expenditures Per-Capita– Capital Projects Expenditures Per-Capita– Enterprise Expenditures

Automated Report Generation

• Reports are generated on the fly and always access the most up to date data available in our database

• As new data becomes available it runs through the upload process and becomes immediately available to the outputs– Example: Population Estimates Program updates

populations going back to last Decennial Census.

Report Delivery

Customization• Why is it necessary?• Increased fiscal stress, changing demographics

• Demographic, Economic, and Fiscal

• Two levels of customization• Level 1 – City and County• Level 2 – within city – added details and select

indicators• Choosing peers – criteria

– Population size, mix– Economic structure

Impacts• Statewide support for initiative• Preliminary feedback• Small communities very appreciative• Requests for advanced indicators for

specific purposes

Future• Include school district financial data• Additional geographic layers – regions,

U.S. congressional districts, State legislative districts

• Virtual Public Finance Center for Iowa• www.igfi.extension.iastate.edu