RubinBrown Public Sector Municipal Stats 2018

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Analysis The overall results of this year’s survey indicate that 2017 was another year of moderate growth in the financial health of cities in most of the regions included in the survey. For most regions both net position and fund balances grew and at a slightly faster pace than previous years. On average in 2017, tax revenue remained flat, causing cities to rely more on intergovernmental revenues and other non-local revenue sources. The increases in intergovernmental revenue ratios reflected this trend. Costs continued to rise, and for most, at a pace faster than revenues. Regardless of the challenges, most regions were operating at a slight surplus on a government-wide basis as well as the general fund. In the analysis that follows, the results for each metropolitan area are examined with an emphasis placed on the development of financial ratio quartiles allowing cities to compare their results to other cities of similar size and geographic location. We encourage each finance officer to share the results of this analysis with the city’s chief executive officer and governing body to help key officials understand how their city compares to that of their peers.