Newark, New Jersey
Program Concentration
This section of my portfolio includes additional papers demonstrating advanced studies the field of public finance. Elective classes in Capital Budgeting & Debt Management and Government Revenue Theory allowed me to focus my studies on the deeper financial matters of public administration.
Capital Budgeting and Public Input: Striking a Balance
This paper explores the capital budget process and identifies which steps warrant public participation. The steps of the capital budget process include identifying projects, implementing the capital budgeting process, approving the capital improvement program (CIP), prioritizing projects, identifying the role of public-private partnerships, determining the capital finance strategy, and launching approved programs. The capital budget process can be very technical and not every step requires public input. However, striking a balance in this process for public participation can add valuable insight from the community while also building transparency and trust between government and citizen.
Municipal Aid Assignment: Assessing the Best Practices Inventory
This paper assesses the Best Practices Inventory (BPI) utilized by the State of New Jersey for municipal aid allocation. Compliance, or non-compliance, with the BPI is used to determine what percentage of an aid package a municipality should receive. While arguments could be made against this method of aid allocation, there are two factors which support its use: it is administratively simple to apply, and it ensures legal compliance with state law and regulations. Each of these factors will be examined as well as some limitations of the BPI. Compliance with the BPI is important for municipal administrators to understand, especially for those acting in a financial role. Without this knowledge, a complete aid package might not be received which could result in budget shortages and program cutbacks. Overall, the BPI creates a manageable standard by which all municipalities should be measured.