Cities are responding to the deteriorating fiscal conditions in a variety of ways. The most common response has been to raise or institute new fees and charges for services.
City Fiscal Conditions in 2004 is a new report from the National League of Cities. Based upon a survey of finance directors from 288 US cities with populations greater than 10,000, this report examines city fiscal conditions; factors influencing municipal budgets; and revenue and expenditure trends.
22 charts present data on the composition of city income (federal, state, local, property tax, sales tax, income tax); the ability of small, medium and large cities to meet program and service needs; and actions cities have taken to balance their budgets.
Selected findings include:
[Editor's note: The link below is to a 1MB PDF document.]
Thanks to Weingart Center's Institute for the Study of Homelessness and Poverty
FULL STORY: City Fiscal Conditions in 2004

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie