Economy

Highlights

Getting in the zone

Opportunity zones are attracting investment into low-income areas across the country. How can...

Energy-efficiency programs for job creation

A recent survey shows that three out of four economists predict a recession by 2021. What can...

The 20 fastest growing cities in America

Economic growth varies considerably from city to city, often due to a number of factors....

Article

Cities propose various strategies to fix pension problems

Across the country, cities are proposing and implementing multiple strategies in attempts to reduce pension deficits. Princeton, Ill., officials plan to institute a 2 percent increase in taxes over last year, unanimously approving a first reading of the ordinance to institute the levy on Dec. 3, BCRNews reports. The city’s police pension is funded at […]

Article

Massachusetts mayor among first two to legally buy recreational marijuana in state

Northampton, Mass., Mayor David Narkewicz made history on Nov. 20 as one of two customers to be the first to legally buy recreational marijuana products in Massachusetts. Recreational marijuana stores launched in Massachusetts on Nov. 20, two years after voters approved the legalization of non-medical marijuana in the state, NBC News reports. Narkewicz stood first in line […]

Article

Former Maryland county employee admits stealing nearly $7 million in public funds

A former COO of Montgomery County, Md.’s Department of Economic Development pleaded guilty to embezzling $6.7 million in public funds that were to be dedicated to helping small businesses. Byung II “Peter” Bang, who worked for the Montgomery County government for over 20 years, pleaded guilty on Nov. 16 in the U.S. District Court in […]

Article

Officials nationwide laud, lament Amazon HQ2 decision as company scores large subsidies

Technology and retail giant Amazon announced on Nov. 13 that it had selected the Long Island City neighborhood of New York and the Crystal City neighborhood of Arlington County, Va. as the locations for its second headquarters, which will be split among the two regions. The announcement follows 14 months of intense competition between 230 […]

Article

Washington state voters ban local governments from issuing soda and grocery taxes

Voters in the State of Washington decided they didn’t want local governments creating taxes on soda or other grocery items on Election Day. About 55.5 percent of voters chose to pass Initiative 1634, also known as “Yes! To Affordable Groceries,” according to Ballotpedia. Per the initiative’s summary, the initiative prohibits “new or increased local taxes, […]

Article

The mini-bond issue

Mini-bonds democratize municipal bonds and are growing in usage, but do these divergent securities yield more benefits than traditional municipal bonds?

Article

Through grants, food companies help cities ride the gravy train

Over the past month, several cities have received funding from an unlikely source: food companies. The companies have not asked these cities for much, either. Mayo, Fla., temporarily changed its name to Miracle Whip to receive $25,000 in beautification funds from Kraft Heinz, which owns the mayonnaise substitute, according to USA Today. The city revealed the name […]

Commentary

How outcome budgeting can innovate the budget planning process

Andrew Kleine, who served as Baltimore’s budget director from 2008 to 2018, explains how outcome budgeting can give local leaders more value in the budget planning process.

Article

New York City caps ridesharing licenses for one year, passes other rideshare-related bills

New York has become the first major U.S. city to cap the number of ridesharing vehicles that can operate within its limits.

Economy

Highlights

Getting in the zone

Energy-efficiency programs for job creation

The 20 fastest growing cities in America

Article

Cities propose various strategies to fix pension problems

Article

Massachusetts mayor among first two to legally buy recreational marijuana in state

Article

Former Maryland county employee admits stealing nearly $7 million in public funds

Article

Officials nationwide laud, lament Amazon HQ2 decision as company scores large subsidies

Article

Washington state voters ban local governments from issuing soda and grocery taxes

Article

The mini-bond issue

Article

Through grants, food companies help cities ride the gravy train

Commentary

How outcome budgeting can innovate the budget planning process

Article

New York City caps ridesharing licenses for one year, passes other rideshare-related bills

Commentary

Selling sales tax

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