Smart Government – Page 7

Tax Abatement Accountability

Problem

It is often challenging for local government to balance the need to repurpose blighted or abandoned lots into taxable property, while ensuring an open and transparent process for their approval and scrutiny.

Solution

Assemblymember Troy Singleton has advocated for a transparent process for tax abatements that ensures that those finite resources are used judiciously and in the best interests of taxpayers. Singleton proposed legislation requiring municipalities to file copies of tax abatement and exemption agreements with the county chief financial officer and county counsel within 30 days of execution. This will provide a heightened level of public scrutiny over the awarding of these financial incentives. Singleton also proposed legislation requiring municipalities to share certain payments received in lieu of taxes with counties and school districts; informing counties and school district of applications for tax exemptions.

Citizen Co-Sponsor

Problem

Too often local government lacks an easy outlet for constituents to weigh in on policies that directly affect them. Not having this resource for citizens to get engaged in current legislation hinders the public’s trust in government.

Solution

Assemblymember Troy Singleton established an online tool, called Citizen Co-Sponsor, to help gather input from constituents about what programs and policies matter most to them. Through this new tool, residents can offer immediate feedback on any proposals going through the New Jersey State Assembly. By allowing every citizen to engage in the legislative process by co-sponsoring policy initiatives, this tool is helping increase their trust in government.

PocketGov

Problem

Many local governments lack efficient ways to provide their constituents with easy access to city information and the services they need, resulting in an overwhelming number of calls to 311 systems.

Solution

Mayor Michael Hancock helped launch Pocketgov.com last year, Denver’s online service center, which provides access to city services and information from anywhere, at any time, on any device. With pocketgov.com, users can make a variety of payments, report potholes or graffiti, find property values, sign up for customized services like street sweeping reminders and waste removal notifications, and much more. With new features rolling out every month based on citizen feedback, pocketgov.com is an innovative solution for direct, easy connections to the City of Denver.

PILOT Plan

Problem

Over the last two decades, Jersey City’s physical, cultural, and economic characteristics have changed significantly. Some neighborhoods have experienced a significant renaissance. Others still struggle to overcome issues that have plagued former industrial centers since the second half of the twentieth century. These issues are social, economic, and infrastructural, and all influence the availability of affordable and safe housing available to the city’s residents.

Solution

Mayor Steve Fulop has proposed a new plan to bring more affordable housing to Jersey City by using tiered tax incentives to drive development into areas where it is needed most. The updated PILOT plan aims to preserve community in these neighborhoods while also promoting development. The plan divides the city into four zones with their own set of tax incentives and affordability requirements in order to achieve a mix of market rate and affordable housing in each of them.

Taxpayer Advocate Program

Problem

Filing taxes can be a challenging, complicated process. It is even more frustrating for individuals, who, through no fault of their own, fall victim to administrative errors and delays from the tax collection agency.

Solution

Senator Bob Hertzberg helped pass legislation this year to expand the taxpayer advocate program in California, helping provide financial relief to those who have been overcharged on their taxes because of administrative errors. Hertzberg’s plan will help restore trust in government by making sure that citizens are appropriately compensated if errors occur and by flagging occurrences of mistakes to help prevent them in the future.

Police Shooting Reporting

Problem

There is a national data gap on police officer use of deadly force, and officer-involved shootings because there is no mandatory reporting policy at the national level to capture information about these incidents. While Texas law already requires law enforcement agencies to report information on a number of different types of incidents to the state, including in-custody deaths, it does not require law enforcement agencies to provide statistics on police officer shootings. This means there is limited information for local police to address these issues and no aggregate data for policymakers, researchers, and law enforcement agencies to analyze in order to better understand and address possible trends or issues.

Solution

Representative Johnson has proposed legislation to increase transparency by requiring law enforcement agencies to report information on officer-involved shootings to the Office of the Attorney General and making this report available to the public so that the data gathered informs research and future policy. One of the biggest things that sets this law apart from other state approaches is the parallel reporting system that tracks incidents in which a civilian shoots a police officer in the course of duty. Additionally, unlike the majority of other state laws, the Texas reporting requirement has a strict reporting timeline for each incident to ensure that the data is gathered and reported in a timely fashion. Finally, keeping track of police officer shooting statistics can help increase transparency and maintain public trust in police officer agencies

Upward Mobility Act

Problem

During the past 60 years, California has moved from an agriculture and manufacturing-based economy to a services-based economy. As a result, state tax revenues have become less reliant on revenues derived from the Sales and Use Tax on goods and more reliant on revenues derived from the Personal Income Tax. As personal incomes tumbled during the Great Recession, state revenues plummeted disproportionately, causing states to cut many essential services such as health care and child care for low-income families when they were needed most. Relying on the wealthiest taxpayers to support California’s needs is an outdated practice and dangerous during hard economic times.

Solution

Senator Bob Hertzberg proposed his “Upward Mobility Act” this year to help reform the current tax structure in order to make stronger, long-term investments in education, skills training, and infrastructure needs that will help ensure that California’s residents and businesses can thrive in the 21st century global economy. The initial goal of the upward mobility act is to explore problems with the current tax structure and discuss reform alternatives, such as expanding the application of Sales and Use Tax law by imposing a tax on specified services, incentivizing entrepreneurship and business creation by evaluating potential changes to the corporate tax law, and examining the impacts of a simpler Personal Income Tax Law. By reviewing the current tax structure and adapting it to meet the future needs of the changing economy, Senator Hertzberg’s plan will help revitalize education funding, jumpstart job creation, and foster improved state finances and business climate, helping expand opportunity for more California residents for many years to come.

Money on the Sidelines

Problem

Each year the New Mexico State Legislature appropriates hundreds of millions of dollars in funds to the Executive Branch for various projects across the state. Yet many times these projects will go years without being completed, if ever.

Solution

As State Auditor, Tim Keller implemented “Money on the Sidelines”, an analytical report that explored how much public money sits unspent in over 700 different accounts held by hundreds of state agencies. In total, the report uncovered $4.2 billion dollars in unspent funds. With this information readily accessible, policy changes are already in the works regarding ways to cut red tape, fully fund projects, and for re-appropriation or reversion of unspent and unusable funds.

Working Families Opportunity Act

Problem

The Arkansas tax system places a far greater burden on low- and middle-income Arkansans than the top 20 percent of earners in the state. High-income Arkansans pay about six percent of their total income in state and local taxes while households at the state average and below pay nearly twice that amount.

Solution

Representative Warwick Sabin sponsored “The Working Families Opportunity Act,” a state version of the federal Earned Income Tax Credit, which is the nation’s most effective tool for reducing poverty among working families and children. The WFOA provides a break to working Arkansans who currently shoulder a disproportionately high tax burden. WFOA credits help people make ends meet while working at low wages so that they can stay employed and take advantage of opportunities to make a better life for themselves and their families.

How to steal this idea:

Read about Representative Sabin’s efforts on the Working Families Opportunity Act in this op-ed he wrote: Rep. Warwick Sabin: In Support Of The Working Families Opportunities Act

See the legislation he sponsored in Arkansas here.

Learn about how other states are adopting and adapting the federal Earned Income Tax Credit at https://www.brookings.edu/blogs/the-avenue/posts/2015/07/29-states-eitc-local-need-holmes-berube

Visit and share the gallery of NewDEAL Challenge winners at governing.com/newdeal.

Impact Intergenerational Poverty

Problem

Nebraska is still struggling from a slow recovery after the recession, with high poverty and unemployment rates across the state. A state-wide strategic policy blueprint is needed for the legislature to increase the accountability and efficiency of state efforts to mitigate poverty.

Solution

Senator Mello has proposed establishing a bipartisan, interbranch task force to evaluate and identify programs to enable the state government to invest in initiatives that are working to reduce poverty across the state. By using data to fund what works, the legislature will be able to improve the effectiveness of its impact on intergenerational poverty and boost economic growth across the state that benefits everyone.

Tax Abatement Accountability

Problem

Solution

Citizen Co-Sponsor

Problem

Solution

PocketGov

Problem

Solution

PILOT Plan

Problem

Solution

Taxpayer Advocate Program

Problem

Solution

Police Shooting Reporting

Problem

Solution

Upward Mobility Act

Problem

Solution

Money on the Sidelines

Problem

Solution

Working Families Opportunity Act

Problem

Solution

Impact Intergenerational Poverty

Problem

Solution

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