Measuring Municipal Fiscal Disparities in Connecticut
Fiscal disparities exist when some municipalities face higher costs for providing a given level of public services or fewer taxable resources to finance those services than others. A municipality's economic and social characteristics can affect both costs and resources.
The potential for fiscal disparities in Connecticut is particularly high given the vast socioeconomic differences observed across the state's 169 cities and towns. This paper measures the non-school fiscal health of Connecticut municipalities using a "municipal gap." Municipal gap is the difference between the uncontrollable costs associated with providing public services and the economic resources available to a municipality to pay for those services.
This research is the result of a collaboration between the Center and the Connecticut Legislative Program Review and Investigations Committee.
Resources
Related Research
From Urban Core to Wealthy Towns: Nonschool Fiscal Disparities across Connecticut Municipalities
by Bo Zhao
Working Paper No. 15-14
A More Equitable Approach to Cutting State Aid
by Bo Zhao and David Coyne
Policy Brief 11-2
Reforming Municipal Aid in Massachusetts: The Case for a Gap-Based Formula
by Bo Zhao and David Coyne
Policy Brief 10-2
Does Springfield Receive Its Fair Share of Municipal Aid? Implications for Aid Formula Reform in Massachusetts
by Bo Zhao with Marques Benton, Lynn Browne, Prabal Chakrabarti, DeAnna Green, Yolanda K. Kodrzycki, Ana Patricia Muñoz, and Richard Walker
Working Paper No. 10-4
Appendices
Table 1. List of Municipality Values for FY 2011 (ranked alphabetically)
Table 2. List of Municipality Values for FY 2011 (ranked by municipal gap)
Table 3. Results for the Cost Regression
Table 4. Data Sources
Presentations
Measuring Nonschool Municipal Fiscal Disparities in Connecticut
by Bo Zhao
Presented to Connecticut General Assembly's State Tax Panel
(September 16, 2015)
Measuring Municipal Fiscal Disparities in Connecticut
by Bo Zhao and Jennifer Weiner
Connecticut General Assembly's Legislative Program Review and Investigations Committee (May 8, 2015)
Program Review & Investigations Committee Meeting to Hear Presentation on Municipal Fiscal Disparities in Connecticut (video)
(May 8, 2015)