23 research outputs found

    Value Capture for Transportation Finance

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    As vehicles become more fuel-efficient and overall levels of travel stagnate in response to increases in fuel prices, conventional sources of revenue for transportation finance such as taxes on motor fuels have been put under increasing pressure. One potential replacement as a source of revenue is a set of policies collectively referred to as value capture policies. In contrast to fuel taxes and other instruments that impose charges on users of transportation networks, value capture policies seek to generate revenue by extracting a portion of the gains in the value of land that result from improvements to transportation networks. In this paper we identify a set of eight policies that contain elements of the value capture approach. These policies include land value taxes, tax increment financing, special assessments, transportation utility fees, development impact fees, negotiated exactions, joint development, and air rights. We evaluate each of the policies according to four criteria: efficiency, equity, sustainability (in terms of revenue adequacy and stability), and feasibility. The value capture concept is placed within a more general framework of transportation finance that emphasizes the relationship between different types of charges and groups of beneficiaries from transportation investments.Transportation Ð Economics, Land value, Transportation Ð finance and taxation

    Rural Taxation Reforms and Compulsory Education Finance in China

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    In recent decades, the responsibility for the financing of compulsory education in rural China has rested with townships and villages which, with limited tax authority and uneven revenue capacity, increasingly relied on a plethora of arbitrarily imposed fees for funding. To reduce farmers‘ fiscal burdens, since 2000 the central government has installed a series of rural taxation reforms. Correspondingly, the central government shifted the administrative responsibilities of rural compulsory education to the county level in 2001, and implemented a series of policies to make up for the loss of revenues to education. Using a provincial-level dataset from 1998 to 2006, this study examines whether and how the rural taxation reforms have affected the adequacy and equality of compulsory education finance in China, and addresses related theoretical and policy implications from the perspective of intergovernmental fiscal relations

    Fiscal Effects of Local Option Sales Tax on School Facilities Funding: Evidence from North Carolina

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    Since the 1970s, the North Carolina Legislature has authorized its counties to levy four local option sales taxes (LOST). Proceeds from two of them are partially restricted for school capital needs; two other LOST are used to augment counties’ general revenues that may also affect school capital funding. Experiences from other states have raised concerns that the adoption of LOST may increase inequality in school finance, but the empirical results have been mixed. Using a data set of one hundred North Carolina county school districts from 2004 to 2006, this study examines how public school facilities are funded, and investigates whether the adoption of LOST aggravates or alleviates inequality in public school capital revenues in the state

    Fiscal Conditions, Political Interests, and Service Outsourcing Decisions: The Case of Georgia Counties

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    The question why a government chooses a specific service delivery tool to provide public service to its citizenry is a central intellectual inquiry in public administration. This paper develops a framework to explain the production and sector choices of public services by political-economic environment, organizational capacity, service market condition, and nature of service. Using operation and financial data of Georgia county governments during 2000-2006, we apply the framework to analyze Georgia counties’ public service outsourcing decisions, focusing on the effects of fiscal condition and political interests. The logistic regression results show that the choice of external production is negatively associated with government’s revenue raising capacity, managerial capacity, and citizens’ political demand for local control yet positively associated with conservative ideology. The choice of private sector is positively correlated with conservative political interest, increase in discretionary financial resources, and the centrality of government’s position in local service provision market

    Introduction: Symposium on China Studies

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    To meet the increasing scholarly interest in China, this symposium provides a forum for scholars in public budgeting and finance to exchange research on China-related issues. There have been new initiatives to reform China’s public fiscal system in the past two decades. The papers in this symposium examine advances and associated issues in fiscal decentralization, local budgeting, and urban infrastructure financing. The papers not only analyze the existing issues, but also make recommendations on how to develop an accountable local budgeting system, how to finance sustainable urban infrastructure, and how to pursue a more balanced approach to fiscal decentralization in contemporary China

    Transportation Investment and Job Creation in Minnesota Counties

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    Numerous studies have been conducted about the impact of transportation investment on economic development. These studies typically use a conventional production function model of economic development augmented by a public capital input, such as highways, rail, or other transportation investments.The findings, in general, confirm a positive elasticity between transportation investment and economic development, but the range of the effects varies widely among studies. In a recent research project, Zhao (2015) quantifies long-term transportation capital stocks in Minnesota counties and finds that these stocks have positive returns on property values. This study extends Zhao(2015)’s methodology to study the link between transportation investment and job creation. We find that long-term transportation investments contribute significantly to employment in Minnesota counties. The results have several policy implications. First, investments on local roads within a county can increase the employment rate in the county. Second, investments on trunk highway surrounding a county can increase the employment rate in the county. Lastly, in the context of Minnesota, it could be more effective to invest in rural areas compared to urban areas, as far as employment growth in concerned

    Joint development as a value capture strategy for public transit finance

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    JTLU vol 5, no 1, pp 5-17 (2012)Synthesizing relevant experiences in US and some Asian countries, this article reviews joint development as a value capture strategy for funding public transit. The review starts from the concept of joint development in transportation, its rationale, and the extent of use. We then provide a classification of joint development models with respect to ownerships and transaction methods. These models are illustrated with case examples from multiple countries. After that, we assess the efficacy of joint development with a set of criteria for transportation finance evaluation, including economic efficiency, social equity, revenue adequacy & sustainability, and political & administrative feasibility. Finally, we conclude and provide recommendations for policy consideration

    Building Local Agency Capacity for Public Engagement in Local Road Systems Planning and Decision Making

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    Aging infrastructure, changing patterns in road demand, and persistently constrained revenues challenge the sustainability of local road systems. This research is a comparative analysis of public engagement methods for involving stakeholders in decision-making about these complex issues. It is the result of an engaged scholarship project conducted in three Minnesota counties: Beltrami, Dakota, and Jackson. This report analyzes qualitative and quantitative data collected from 91 study participants through observations of policy dialogues, media content analysis, interviews, focus groups, and surveys of attitudes about these policy issues and public engagement methods. In-depth case studies of three counties describe the local road policy issues, the public engagement approaches, and their effects. This research identifies convergences and divergences in information and perspectives among stakeholders. Tools developed for addressing the communication gaps are available at http://tinyurl.com/local-roads. Some public engagement methods allowed study participants to change their perspectives on what road management options were achievable and acceptable. This occurred through active recruitment of diverse stakeholders, focus groups with individuals of similar backgrounds, and a facilitated policy roundtable among all the different stakeholders. An additional finding relates to evaluation measures for public participation, which scholars and practitioners acknowledge are poorly developed. This study documents a fresh perspective by identifying the likes and dislikes of participants in public participation processes about how they are organized

    How Do Complete Streets Matter for Communities? The Case of Richfield, Minnesota

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    Municipalities across Minnesota have turned to Complete Streets in an attempt to develop more usable roads for their residents. This report investigates how Complete Streets are reshaping one Minnesota community. In 2013, Richfield, a suburb of Minneapolis, enacted a particularly innovative Complete Streets policy. Known locally as “Richfield Sweet Streets,” the program has led to the reconstruction of several major roads across the city. Richfield’s Sweet Streets program is unique in that it incorporates a modal hierarchy in which users are prioritized differently in road redesign and reconstruction. It relies on extensive community engagement, aiming to improve outcomes for individuals and the community as a whole. This research presents a baseline analysis of how Richfield’s Sweet Streets projects are affecting the local community, while identifying a set of methods and measures for future research. The analysis draws on multiple sources of data to better understand the nature and consequences of Richfield’s Sweet Streets for user experience and livability, economic vitality, transportation and safety, and individual and community health. The research aims to illustrate Richfield’s innovative approach to transforming its transportation infrastructure while providing a roadmap for future analyses of the impacts of Richfield’s Sweet Streets
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