Perform a fiscal SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, and Threat) analysis
The city's fiscal structure can be evaluated to find sources of imbalance. An analysis should consider both the revenue and expenditure sides of the city's fiscal structure as well as the economic and demographic factors that will influence demand for services in the near and long term.
ASSESSMENT
Some questions to guide your thinking
- What revenue sources are sustainable and which are volatile?
- What expenditures have a stable and direct source of revenue?
- What expenditures do not have stable and direct sources of revenue?
Reading
Including environmental resilience in fiscal planning
Brookings Institute 15 minutes
This brief explores the issue of environmental resilience by focusing on the role of local policymakers and practitioners to drive lasting infrastructure solutions that can benefit more places and people.
Reading
Diagnosing your city's fiscal health
Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) 20 minutes
This report guides leaders through an initial diagnosis focused on technical and financial elements of administering local government.
Reading
Understanding the city's fiscal policy space
Brookings Institute 30 minutes
What are the constraints on local governments to enact fiscal policy, and what is their capacity? This paper argues that different cities have different levels of capacities and constraints, and introduces a framework for understanding your fiscal policy space.
- Constraints for cities include the state-local regulatory system, tax and expenditure restrictions, and limited state aid.
- Alignment between the city's tax revenue and its economic base can contribute to long-term resilience.
- See page 26 for a sample of where major US cities fall in the framework.
Reading
Including environmental resilience in fiscal planning
This brief explores the issue of environmental resilience by focusing on the role of…
Reading
Diagnosing your city's fiscal health
This report guides leaders through an initial diagnosis focused on technical and …
Reading
Understanding the city's fiscal policy space
What are the constraints on local governments to enact fiscal policy, and what is …