2010 Speaker Series - 11/18/10

November 18th 10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. 

Work: Planning for the Bottom Line    CM 1.5 
Download presentation here. (390kb pdf file)

Presentation Description:

Participants will learn about improving the financial performance of their department with a properly constructed system of user fees.  Additionally, participants will learn about improving the fiscal sustainability of their community by understanding the fiscal impacts of land use decisions.

Planning departments have traditionally charged user fees for permits, rezoning applications, plan reviews, inspections, etc.  This practice gives these departments an advantage in guiding their financial future in that there is a certain level of public and political acceptance of these fees as well as an expectation that the department recoup a portion of its costs to provide services.  This is especially important in the current economic environment as general tax revenues have been declining and there is increasing resistance from the public and elected officials to increase raise taxes or other general revenues.  The most recent Research Brief on America’s Cities from the National League of Cities reveals that 45% of respondents have increased the levels of existing user fees and 27% of respondents have expanded their number of user fees.

Participants in this session will learn user fee basics, applicability, and how to establish a sustainable, defensible user fee program.  Additionally, participants will learn about common criticisms of user fee programs and successful strategies to navigate these pitfalls. The user fee portion of the presentation will conclude with actionable steps for participants to evaluate their current user fee system.

The second half of the presentation will focus on the fiscal sustainability of land uses.  Topics included in this discussion will commence with general observations on the current use of fiscal impact analysis in land use decisions. This will be followed by a detailed examination of factors which influence how land uses impact a community’s fiscal condition.  These factors include a community’s revenue structure, levels-of-service, capacity status of infrastructure, and socioeconomic characteristics of new development.  Examples from several case studies (including several from Maryland communities) will be used to illustrate these factors.

Participants will gain knowledge about the applicability of fiscal impact analyses in crafting land use policies, evaluating specific development projects and/or development scenarios, and honing economic development strategies.

Presenter's Biography:

Christopher Cullinan

Christopher Cullinan is a Principal with TischlerBise and has fifteen years of public finance experience in both the public and private sectors. He holds a B.A. in Political Science and a Masters of Public Administration in public finance from Indiana University. Prior to joining TischlerBise, Mr. Cullinan worked as the Budget Director for the City of Charlottesville, Virginia where he was involved with budgeting, cost analysis, revenue analysis and forecasting, long-term financial planning, and capital improvement planning. He has prepared over 150 impact fees and other one-time fees for cities, counties, and towns across the country. In addition, he has conducted numerous fiscal impact analyses of multiple land use scenarios, specific development projects, and annexations. He is a frequent presenter on cost of growth issues at national conferences including the American Planning Association (APA), Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA), and International City/County Management Association (ICMA). He is currently on the Board of Directors for the National Impact Fee Roundtable.