Local Government Insights

On this episode, we are joined by Dr. Leo Feler, an Economist with the UCLA Anderson Forecast for an economic outlook for 2022. Dr. Feler produces the UCLA Anderson Forecast U.S. macroeconomic forecast. He is an accomplished economist who received his Ph.D. in economics from Brown University; his M.A. in international policy from Stanford University; and his B.A. in economics and international relations from Stanford University. His update includes the GDP, inflation, unemployment, manufacturing, housing trends, tourism and more. His insight into markets across the country provides a helpful tool for local governments to understand what these economic indicators mean for them.

Merrett Stierheim started as a government intern and rose to become the Manager of what was the largest Commission/Manager government in the United States, not once but twice. As the County Manager for Miami Dade County he was responsible for running a $6 billion government with 27,000 employees. In this episode, we find out how he did it, what advice he has for those interested in rising in the ranks of local government, and what he sees as the biggest challenges facing anyone today who serves in public administration. This episode includes his encounters with three U.S. Presidents and the Queen of England and much more.

On this episode, we are joined by Robert Pesapane of FEMA. Robert is an Emergency Management professional with over 10 years of state and federal government experience. He currently serves as the Director of the Recovery Division for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) where he is responsible for providing guidance, leadership and oversight to state and local governments in an effort to help them recover from all disasters. He provides valuable insight on what it looks like for a jurisdiction to prepare for, face, and recover from a disaster.

The City of El Paso, TX adjusted its approach to Hotel Tax compliance that resulted in the discovery and recovery of over $3M in additional Occupancy Tax Revenue. Today we're going to discuss what this journey looked like for El Paso, and key takeaways for other jurisdictions. Edmundo Calderon is the Chief Internal Auditor for El Paso and brings over 29 years of experience as an auditor across diverse industries including financial services, higher education, and local government. Together we discussed: • Current tax levies on hotels in El Paso • The challenges faced, and the process for developing a plan to address them • What additional revenue helped El Paso accomplish • Key takeaways This discussion with Edmundo Calderon was taken from our show Local Government Insights: Modernizing Government Leadership. If you want to hear more episodes like this one, check us out on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. If you don't use Apple Podcasts or Spotify, you can find every episode here.

Monroe County was established in 1821 and the amount of papers that was accumulating from the span of 200 years was exponential…leading the County to embark on the Paperless Initiative. Today we're going to discuss what drove thecounty to venture towards this initiative and the steps they're taking to achieve it. As the County Archivist, Kelly Smith , is responsible for managing the long-term storage and preservation of official records and ensuring that the public has access to them. Together we discussed: · The situation storing 200 years worth of paper. · Top factors to consider when looking for a vendor to help go paperless. · Understanding state record retention rules · Workflow for digitizing a large collection of records · Changes in storing, and retrieving documents. This discussion with Kelly Smith was taken from our show Local Government Insights: Modernizing Government Leadership. If you want to hear more episodes like this one, check us out on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. If you don't use Apple Podcasts or Spotify, you can find every episode here.

If you work in government in a tourism town, the pandemic was a nightmare come true. But what happens when the tourists don't stop coming? That's exactly the situation Jess Knudson, a City Manager from Lake Havasu, AZ, found himself in last year. He joined the show to share how he tackled the issue. We discuss: The initial dropoff and later surge of tourism in Lake Havasu How Jess helped navigate budgeting and allocating resources to tackle the problem The challenge of navigating government financial support in the wake of the pandemic This discussion with Jess Knudson was taken from our show Local Government Insights: Modernizing Government Leadership. If you want to hear more episodes like this one, check us out on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. If you don't use Apple Podcasts or Spotify, you can find every episode here.

With just over 40,000 residents, Florence is Alabama's 11th largest city. Home to the University of North Alabama, this vibrant and welcoming town also hosts the state's most popular renaissance festival, held annually each October. Bob Leyde, beloved City Clerk for the City of Florence, Alabama, is a pillar of the local community as well as a talented and innovative administrator. He wisely utilized Avenu's vast capabilities to generate up-to-the-minute analytics for more accurate projections of sales tax revenue during the COVID pandemic and increase the efficiency of his administration staff. Here's a sneak peek: Detailed reporting helped Bob overcome budgeting challenges and increase compliance. Accurate and real-time information about current business opportunities and revenue collection is crucial to his decision-making process. Avenu streamlined the city's tax administration with a laser-focused audit process. Bob encourages leaders of cities of any size to see how Avenu's technology can optimize operations and maximize revenue generation. Resources from today's episode: Host Brennan Middleton, Director of Marketing at Avenu Avenu Insights & Analytics This discussion with Bob Leyde was taken from our show, Local Government Insights: Modernizing Government Leadership. If you want to hear more episodes like this one, check us out on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. If you don't use Apple Podcasts or Spotify, you can find every episode here.

Thomas Whitener recently unseated a 13-year incumbent in a tight election that was fueled by promises of change and cultural shift that was highly sought after across the county. Thomas is licensed Real Estate Agent, entrepreneur, and former interactive systems and balance designer who is making a big impact on Kalamazoo County. He has built his career on openness and transparency and plans to establish a culture of accountability and fairness to all constituents. Thomas joined us to discuss many of the challenges that local government leaders are facing and highlight some of the best insights across the industry. Here's a sneak peek of the episode: · What it was like to run a people focused campaign during the pandemic · The roles and responsibilities of county treasurer · The Delinquent Tax Responsibility and how that was affected by COVID · Resources that helped constituents avoid foreclosure · Budget shortfalls · What recovery look like for Kalamazoo County as we climb out of the pandemic Resources from today's episode: · Host Brennan Middleton, Director of Marketing at Avenu · Avenu Insights & Analytics This discussion with Thomas Whitener was taken from our show, Local Government Insights: Modernizing Government Leadership. If you want to hear more episodes like this one, check us out on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. If you don't use Apple Podcasts or Spotify, you can find every episode here.

Bryan was appointed as the City Manager of Eastvale, CA in 2018. Under his leadership the city has risen to new heights and become one of the Top 20 Best Places to Live in the country. In recent months amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Eastvale has seen immense growth across various industries including: · 32.26% increase in new business applications and renewals · 5.95% increase in property taxes · 7.69% increase in sales & use tax · 6.49 % increase in franchise fees Learn the principles that made this city a success story during COVID! This discussion was taken from our show Local Government Insights: Modernizing Government Leadership. If you want to hear more episodes like this one, check us out on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.If you don't use ApplePodcasts or Spotify, you can find every episode here.

With the American Rescue Plan Act, state and local governments are seeing opportunities to address some of the challenges they are facing brought on by the pandemic. Learn what this meansyou're your jurisdiction. Mark Funkhouser, is the president of Funkhouser & Associates and the former mayor of Kansas City. He walks us through key considerations about the ARPA including: · The “eligible use cases” that were released and the intent behind some of the areas addressed · What governments be taking a look at when determining their overall strategy for spending · Reporting requirements · How to prioritize key areas This discussion was taken from our show Local Government Insights: Modernizing Government Leadership. If you want to hear more episodes like this one, check us out on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.If you don't use Apple Podcasts or Spotify, you can find every episode here.

As technology advances, there comes the strenuous task of updating old documents into the new systems. Without these updates, older documents might become lost in the transition. John Buckley, Plymouth County Register of Deeds, walks us through the digital transformation of records: A brief look at John's career A history of Plymouth's legacy Insight into transitioning old documents to digital Perspective on the digital shift This discussion with John Buckley was taken from our show Local Government Insights: Modernizing Government Leadership. If you want to hear more episodes like this one, check us out on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.If you don't use Apple Podcasts or Spotify, you can find every episode here.

COVID tested localities in new in challenging ways. While we are coming out of the pandemic, we can learn from different jurisdictions as we prepare for the future. Matt Hawkesworth, Finance Director for the City of Pasadena, CA about the different areas of impact COVID-19 has had on the City and how his team has shifted priorities to help balance ever increasing budget deficits. In this show we discuss: · Top areas the City of Pasadena was affected over the past 12-18 months · The approach to using reserves during the process · The impact of restaurant closures in a city with one of the largest number percapita · The American Rescue Plan · The importance of resiliency This discussion with Matt Hawkesworth was taken from our show Local Government Insights: Modernizing Government Leadership. If you want to hear more episodes like this one, check us out on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.If you don't use Apple Podcasts or Spotify, you can find every episode here.

When government doesn't deliver the same level of digital services citizens have come to expect from their private-sector interactions, they lose an opportunity to build trust in their communities. In this episode, we talk with Lou Schiavone, Chief Customer Officer at Avenu Insights and Analytics. For the past 20 years, he has focused on serving state and local governments nationwide, leading the sales, development and delivery of a diverse set of innovative solutions. Our discussion delves into: • How governments can instill trust in their communities through digital transformation • Government's overreliance on paper driven processes • Tax collection processes that are efficient, digitized, and automated • Ways government can improve communication and build trust • Key takeaways for government leaders looking to instill trust in their community This discussion was taken from our podcast series, Local Government Insights. To hear more episodes like this one, check us out on Apple or your favorite podcast platform. Your reviews and feedback are greatly appreciated.

Local governments are working harder than ever over the last year to manage budget shortfalls. Changes in revenue can impact key services for the community. Accurate forecasting and revenue maximization is key during these uncertain times. In this episode, we talk with Paul Colangelo, the CEO of Avenu Insights and Analytics. He brings a wealth of experience to the conversation having over two decades of experience working with local governments. Our discussion delves into: · Untapped revenue for local governments during the economic downturn · Conducting a business license discovery and recovery review and how it helps with revenue enhancement · Preparing for fluctuations in revenue streams as the economy recovers · The long term impacts of the COVID pandemic. This discussion was taken from our podcast series, Local Government Insights. To hear more episodes like this one, check us out on Apple or your favorite podcast platform. Your reviews and feedback are greatly appreciated.

For local governments, moving beyond fear of digitalization is essential to making their products and services more accessible for constituents. In this episode, I talk with Alfredo Frauenfelder, Client Executive at Avenu Insights & Analytics, about how digital technology can give old documents new life and what that process looks like for local governments. What we discussed: Why preservation of documentation for future generations is critical How to capture, store, and publish handwritten documents The current state of historical documents for most governments What challenges Local Governments face starting these projects How digitalization can actually pay for itself over time This discussion with Alfredo Frauenfelder was taken from our show Local Government Insights: Modernizing Government Leadership. If you want to hear more episodes like this one, check us out on Apple Podcasts. If you don't use Apple Podcasts, you can find every episode here.

Local governments can fine-tune their budget forecasts by understanding thetremendous impacts that and state and federal programs have had on Sales TaxRevenue over the past year. In this episode, we talk with Mark Bryson, Senior Economic Analyst at Avenu, who works with California jurisdictions and is an expert in helping them navigate the changes COVID has brought to revenue forecasts. Our discussion delves into: · key concepts relevant to understanding and properly budgeting for future Sales Tax Revenues • why these basic Sales Tax concepts are important to the budgeting process · 5 things that occurred in California that have never happened before that impact Sales Tax Revenue · what jurisdictions throughout the country should be thinking about when they are budgeting Sales Tax Revenue these days This discussion was taken from our podcast series, Local Government Insights. To hear more episodes like this one, check us out on Apple or your favorite podcast platform. Your reviews and feedback are greatly appreciated.

For the City of Vestavia Hills, in Alabama, effectively using data was key to navigating the challenges presented by the pandemic. In this episode, we talked with Jeff Downes, City Manager of Vestavia Hills. We covered: The challenges faced with providing more with less How their team leverages technology to provide better revenue management How Vestavia Hills dealt with the declining revenue, and increasing operational costs faced by localities. Utilizing different data sources to glean insight in response to the COVID-19 pandemic Some of the most surprising trends to come out of the pandemic, and what changes may be permanent This discussion with Jeff Downes was taken from our show Local Government Insights. If you want to hear more episodes like this one, check us out on Apple Podcasts. If you don't use Apple Podcasts, you can findevery episode here.

For the City of Rolling Hills Estates in California, the adoption of new technology has already paid off with a unique approach to administering and maximizing compliance of business license tax revenues. In this episode, we talked with Mike Whitehead, Administrative Services Director and City Treasurer for the City of Rolling Hills Estates in California. We covered: Challenges faced with business license administration and overall compliance Finding solutions tailored to the unique needs and problems cities are facing Responsibilities of staff and the shifting priorities with the use of new technology Cost savings with technology partnerships and client facing portals This discussion with Mike Whitehead was taken from our show Local Government Insights. If you want to hear more episodes like this one, check us out on Apple Podcasts. If you don't use Apple Podcasts, you can find every episode here.

As the nation begins to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, jurisdictions across the country are assessing the impacts. Understanding the unique impacts of the pandemic on different revenue streams is key to building accurate forecasts. In this episode, we talk with Dr. Leila Bengali, an Economist at the UCLA Anderson Forecast, and Fran Mancia, Avenu's VP of Government Relations. Together, they bring years of insight into what California's future tax situation has in-store. In this episode we cover: • Sales tax and property tax trends in 2021 • The landscape for local governments • What societal changes may carry over from the pandemic and impact future revenue • Tactics jurisdictions can take to prepare for a post-COVID world This discussion was taken from our show Local Government Insights: Modernizing Government Leadership. If you want to hear more episodes like this one, check us out on Apple Podcasts. If you don't use Apple Podcasts, you can find every episode here. Listening on a desktop & can't see the links? Just search for Local Government Insights in your favorite podcast player.

With ongoing national conversations about diversity in tech, it is important to remember that, mixed leadership teams perform better simply because they can solve problems more quickly and more creatively than less diverse teams. In this episode, I talk with Sharon Matthews, Avenu's Vice Chairwoman about why tech needs women leaders and how to get them. What we talked about: The major milestones of Sharon's successful career in technology The unique qualities women bring to leadership in organizations Advice for women as they bridge the gap Her life mantra This discussion with Sharon Matthews was taken from our show Local Government Insights: Modernizing Government Leadership. If you want to hear more episodes like this one, check us out on Apple Podcasts. If you don't use Apple Podcasts, you can find every episode here. Listening on a desktop & can't see the links? Just search for Local Government Insights in your favorite podcast player.

As the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel continues to grow brighter, local governments are now setting their sights on what a post-COVID world might look like. In this episode, I talk with John Russo, Founder and Principal of Synchronicity, and Fran Mancia, Avenu's VP of Government Relations, about the myriad ways the pandemic has altered the work of the public and private sector. What we talked about: The changes that are here to stay and how they will affect local and state governments The impact on work at public agencies and in the private sector The challenges of moving government services online This discussion with John Russo and Fran Mancia was taken from our show Local Government Insights: Modernizing Government Leadership. If you want to hear more episodes like this one, check us out on Apple Podcasts. If you don't use Apple Podcasts, you can find every episode here. Listening on a desktop & can't see the links? Just search for Local Government Insights in your favorite podcast player.

While jury duty is not the most exciting thing to look forward to, todays citizens deserve a digital court experience and technology is providing a more streamlined jury experience for citizens. In this episode, I talk with Michael Payton, the justice solution leader at Avenu, about how digitization can help increase jury response rates and improve the citizen experience. What we discussed: Challenges the courts face with day to day operations How automation changes the way courts operate How digitization impacts juror response rates and helps create diverse jury pools The impact of the pandemic on our courts This discussion with Michael Payton was taken from our show Local Government Insights. If you want to hear more episodes like this one, check us out on Apple Podcasts. If you don't use Apple Podcasts, you can find every episode here .

Now more than ever, public sector entities need to invest in digital initiatives that can preserve documentation and make their offices more accessible in times of crisis. Though getting started may seem like a gargantuan task, there are ways to make the transformation a painless and exciting journey for those involved. In this episode, I talk with Ann Kirkbride, Business Unit Director at Avenu Insights & Analytics, about how digitization can benefit local governments. What we discussed: Why investment in digitalization critical for preservation and the future How can a local government start digitizing their documentation How can offices offer “traditionally analogue” essential services during crisis What steps are non-negotiable when digitizing local governments Highlighted the most influential digitization successes This discussion with Ann Kirkbride was taken from our show Local Government Insights. If you want to hear more episodes like this one, check us out on Apple Podcasts. If you don't use Apple Podcasts, you can find every episode here.

In a rush to mobilize workers in the wake of the covid-19 pandemic, many local government agencies overlooked security measures and made themselves vulnerable to various cyberattacks. In 2021, agencies are beginning to understand that the long term effects of a remote workforce aren't going to go away so easily. In light of these long-term operations, local governments need to brace themselves for cyberattacks by designing a strategy to keep infrastructure and data secure. In this episode, I talk with Roger Murphy, Director of Information Technology Managed Services at Avenu Insights & Analytics, about strategies local governments should implement to enhance security for their remote workforce. We also discussed: What local governments should be doing to prepare for cyber attacks. Which security strategies governments should focus on first. How organizations can train their employees on digital threats. What to consider when moving an aging workforce into a remote environment. This discussion with Roger Murphy was taken from our show Local Government Insights. If you want to hear more episodes like this one, check us out on Apple Podcasts. If you don't use Apple Podcasts, you can find every episode here.

Across the country, cities are facing severe budget shortfalls because of COVID-19 and its consequences. In this landscape, city and county governments are struggling to consistently do more with less. As local governments are looking for new ways to balance their budget and streamline their services, they should look to this innovative solution: automated revenue management. In this episode, I talk with Christy Cato, Vice President of Tax Administration at Avenu Insights & Analytics, about how automation can benefit local governments. What we discussed: How automated revenue management works. How automation can generate new revenue and keep employees on staff. How governments can implement automation for more efficient workflows. What processes you should avoid automating. This discussion with Christy Cato was taken from our show Local Government Insights. If you want to hear more episodes like this one, check us out on Apple Podcasts. If you don't use Apple Podcasts, you can find every episode here.

For governments to serve their communities, they need solutions they can depend on. That's where Avenu Insights & Analytics steps in. Whether it be funding insights grounded in regional revenue trends or administrative functions such as record management and human resource operations, Avenu's software solutions are built on proven success at every level of government operation. And now, they've started a podcast to provide insights from and for government officials of all different government sizes and departments. In this inaugural episode of Local Government Insights, producer Kelsey Kohrs talks with Brennan Middleton, director of marketing at Avenu Insights & Analytics, about the mission and vision of this podcast. Brennan also talked about: His marketing experience and his role at Avenu. How Avenu helps local governments sustain a high quality of life. What listeners can expect to hear in future episodes. This discussion with Brennan Middleton was taken from our show Local Government Insights. If you want to hear more episodes like this one, check us out on Apple Podcasts. If you don't use Apple Podcasts, you can find every episode here.