Suchergebnisse

What types of cities use privatization? Could the same city‐level orientations that affect local economic development also influence a city's propensity to use privatization? This paper finds broader application for a model developed in the local economic development literature by Bowman and Pagano. This model is useful because it classifies cities based on two factors that are important in the decision to privatize services: fiscal stress and politics. These two factors produce four city‐level orientations:sur‐vivalist, market, expansionist, and maintenance. This inquiry compares the amount of privatization used by the cities included in the Bowman and Pagano study. The findings suggest that privatization levels vary significantly among the four city‐level orientations.

Examines the levels of privatization in public works, public utilities, public safety, health and human services, parks and recreation, cultural and arts programs, and support functions, based on the experiences of 596 cities; US.

Is privatization related to municipal fiscal health? Are privatization levels higher in fiscally healthy or fiscally stressed cities? Where are cities that use large amounts of privatization located? In this inquiry the privatization levels of mid‐sized cities are explained by examining their fiscal and demographic characteristics. The findings suggest that cities with high privatization levels tend to be fiscally healthy and located in suburban areas. The results also suggest that fiscal stress, tax burden, and the magnitude of debt are lower in cities that use large amounts of privatization.

Montana uses a biennium budget; there was not a legislative session in 2018.The 65th Montana Legislature ended its constitutionally mandated 90-day biennium session with a $10.3 billion, two-year all funds budget in April 2017. The Republican-controlled legislature returned to its contentious tradition. There were several big issues, but due to budget shortfalls, and few policy issues were resolved. Infrastructure bills generally failed, although the first gas tax in decades passed to help with infrastructure needs. Montana's colleges and universities took significant cuts in their budgets and tuition increased roughly 13 percent. Except for K-12 programs, most state agencies' budgets were cut. Overall, it was a grim legislative session that produced very few results and resolved few problems. The balanced budget lasted less than two months when revenue projections turned out to be wrong and the governor had to use his authority to further cut expenses, which included layoffs and additional cuts to state agencies and services. It was a session marked by lack of funds and budget cuts across most agencies. As the fall season began, the state budget appeared to be in shambles only months after the session adjourned. A special session was called in November 2017 to address Montana's $227 million budget shortfall, largely a result of the most expensive state fire season in Montana's history. Bills were passed to address the shortfall. Governor Steve Bullock allowed most of the bills to become law. Although some funding would later be partly restored after the special session for some agencies, most of the cuts remained.

The 65th Montana Legislature ended its constitutionally mandated 90-day biennium sessionwith a $10.3 billion, two-year all funds budget in late April 2017. The Republican-controlled legislaturereturned to its contentious tradition. There were several "big issues," but due to budgetshortfalls, few policy issues were resolved. Infrastructure bills generally failed although the firstgas tax in decades passed to help with infrastructure. Campaign finance (raising the spendinglimits) was an issue, which seems to be a tradition in the state (Grant 2017). Montana's collegesand universities took significant cuts in their budgets, and tuition increased roughly 13 percent.Except for K-12 programs, most state agencies' budgets were cut. Overall, it was a grim legislativesession that produced very few results and resolved few problems. The balanced budget lastedless than two months when revenue projections turned out to be wrong and the governor hadto use his authority to further cut expenses, which included layoffs and additional cuts to stateagencies and services. The governor has limitations on how much he or she can cut, which ledobservers to suggest that a special session may be needed to fix the budget. Due to a historic fireseason, the state's firefighting budget was drained, and the state's fragile economy was adverselyaffected. Tourists either left early or cancelled their plans due to the fires and smoke. Overall,there were not many winners in this legislative session. It was a session marked by lack of fundsand budget across most agencies. Unfortunately, as the fall season began, the state budget appearedto be in shambles only months after the session adjourned.