Historic Infrastructure Funding Opportunities Open to Local Governments

February 14, 2022  by  Eric Lowell
Category:  Public Works Finance ,  Federal Funding

Building a Better America invests $400 billion over five years to support major transportation and infrastructure projects nationwide. Local governments are eligible for funding, including for several competitive grant programs, and should begin the planning process now. 

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Tax Increment Financing Now Available to Some Washington Local Governments

September 16, 2021  by  Eric Lowell
Category:  Finance ,  Public Works Finance ,  New Legislation and Regulations

In an effort to help local governments spur economic development in stagnant communities, the legislature passed HB 1189 early this year, which authorizes the use of tax increment financing for cities, towns, counties, and port districts.

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Tips for Improving Your Grant Proposal Development Process

September 18, 2018  by  Amy Gabriel
Category:  Revenues ,  Public Works Finance ,  Guest Author

From providing feedback on draft grant guidelines to employing an outside consultant, this post offers tips on how municipalities can improve the grant development process. 

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Funding Utility Infrastructure

June 14, 2017  by  Courtney Black
Category:  Public Works Finance ,  Utilities ,  Guest Author

The facilities that make up your utility infrastructure won’t last forever. This post looks at how asset management options can help a utility avoid significant funding challenges or impacts to ratepayers during infrastructure replacement.

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Utility Latecomer Agreements – Legislature Gives Municipalities an Alternative

July 8, 2015  by  Bob Meinig
Category:  Public Works Finance

The 2015 Legislature enacted legislation (SSB 5795) providing municipalities (defined for this purpose as cities, towns, counties, and drainage districts) the authority to initiate an assessment reimbursement area to finance all the costs of a water or sewer improvement and to become the sole beneficiary of the reimbursements.

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Missing a Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity

June 4, 2013  by  Lynn Nordby
Category:  Public Works Finance

Historians are going to look back at this time in our nation’s history and shake their heads at the opportunities cities, counties, states, and school districts failed to capitalize on. With interest rates at the...

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