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| April 2003 |
Tax Increment Financing in New Orleans BGR issued a study on the use of tax increment financing (TIF) in New Orleans. The study reviews the use of TIF in general and in New Orleans in particular. Click here for the full report. |
| October 2002 |
Report
of Proposal Evaluation Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans Water and
Wastewater Systems Managed Competition
For more than a year and a half, the Sewerage & Water Board ("S&WB") has actively pursued a procurement for the private management, operation, and maintenance of the S&WB’s water and wastewater systems. This week the S&WB is scheduled to take a critical step in the process: deciding whether or not to contract out (privatize) these large and vitally important segments of it operation. |
| October 2002 | Jefferson Parish Charter Amendments November 5, 2002 Ballot On November 5, 2002, Jefferson Parish voters will be asked to approve four propositions that together offer eight amendments to the existing parish home rule charter. The propositions bear directly on term limits and council structure, among other issues. |
| June 2002 | Sewerage & Water Board Privatization at a Critical Stage The new study reassesses the S&WB’s selection process in light of developments over the past year and discusses certain critical issues with the S&WB’s proposed service agreement. Also available is BGR Press Release |
| May 2002 | The St Tammany Parish Home Rule Charter: An Assessment BGR presents its report assessing the St. Tammany Parish Home Rule Charter. BGR found a general consensus that the charter is working well and represents an improvement over the police jury system that it replaced. However, some fine-tuning is in order. (Includes an Appendix which presents the entire Charter and compares it to the 1979 Charter.) |
| February 2002 | Charter Amendment March 2, 2002 Ballot On March 2, 2002, Orleans Parish voters will be asked to decide whether the City Charter should be amended to require voter approval of decisions by the Sewerage & Water Board (S&WB) to enter into certain privatization contracts. |
| January 2002 | New Orleans Business & Industrial District Millage Proposition On February 2, 2002, the voters of New Orleans will consider a proposition to authorize the extension of the property tax millage for the New Orleans Business and Industrial District (“NOB&ID” or the “District”). |
| January 2002 |
Challenge
for a New Mayor: Professional Services Contracting
Reform BGR presents its new Professional Services Contracting Model along with a pledge for current mayoral candidates in New Orleans to sign, promising to implement these specific and fundamental reforms. |
| November 2001 |
Legal
Services Contracting at the Local Level Follow links for Appendix A - Eighteen local government entities Appendix B - Written Contracts Appendix C - Text of Cited Louisiana Laws |
| November 2001 | Public Contracting for Legal Services A collaborative effort by Bureau of Governmental Research, Public Affairs Research Council, and The Public Law Center. For additional information on state legal services please see PAR website. |
| September 2001 | Third Term Charter Amendment With this report BGR provides an analysis of the arguments for and against the proposed charter amendment allowing a third consecutive term and provides BGR’s position. |
| September 2001 | City of Harahan Demographics Finances and Employee Salaries examines the history and current state of the operating budget and compares revenues and expenditures, including salaries, with those of comparable Louisiana cities. |
| July 2001 |
BGR Outlook on Jefferson: Jefferson Parish Public School System Performance and Financial Review This Outlook discusses the financial challenges facing the JPPSS and the current academic performance of its schools. |
| June 2001 |
Privatization of Water and Wastewater Systems in New Orleans: BGR Analysis of Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans Proposal Follow this link to read the full report. |
| March 2001 |
DDD Tax and Bond Proposal This report presents BGR's position on the ballot for April 7, 2001 |
| October 2000 |
Constitutional Amendments on the November 7, 2000 Ballot In this report BGR reviews the four proposed changes in the state constitution and takes a position opposing the fourth. |
| October 2000 |
Bond Propositions in Orleans Parish: November 7, 2000 Ballot This report presents BGR’s positions on ballot propositions to allow the issuance of general obligation bonds of $150 million by the City of New Orleans and $27 million by the Law Enforcement District. |
| October 2000 |
BGR Outlook on Orleans: Overview and Status Report on the New Orleans Capital Program This issue of the Outlook series examines the capital budget process of the City of New Orleans and critiques the implementation of the 1995-approved building program. |
| May 2000 |
BGR Outlook on Orleans: Privatization of Sewerage and Water Board Operations. This edition of Orleans Outlook examines the financial health of the New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board (S&WB) and the role privatization can play in improving the S&WB's “bottom line.” |
| December 1999 |
BGR's report, Property
Tax Exemption and Assessment Administration in Orleans Parish,
examines property tax exemptions for nonprofit organizations, and
analyzes assessment administration in Orleans Parish.
News release (3 pgs, 10KB) Summary and Recommendations (20 pgs, 641KB) Full Report |
| November 1999 |
BGR Recommendations on Constitutional Amendments on the November 20, 1999 Ballot This report covers the six amendments that appeared on the November 20th ballot. BGR has taken a position on two of the amendments. For details on BGR's positions, and for information on all of the amendments, follow this link. |
| October 1999 |
BGR Outlook on Jefferson: The Jefferson Parish School Board's Budget. The purpose of this issue is to provide an update on fiscal status of the Jefferson Parish Public Schools with a focus on the revised FY1999 and the adopted FY2000 operating budgets. A copy of the News Release issued in conjunction with this report is available. |
| October 1999 |
BGR Recommendations on Constitutional Amendments on the October 23, 1999 Ballot This report covers the ten amendments that appeared on the October 23rd ballot. BGR analyzed and took positions on eight of the ten amendments. For details on recommendations follow this link. |
| July 1999 |
The Orleans Parish School Board's Y2K Project. An overview and status report on the school board’s new management information system and the computer networking project to bring the internet and other educational resources to the classroom. 12 pp. |
| June 1999 |
New Orleans International Airport:
Governance, Regional Cooperation and Airport Expansion An analysis of conditions limiting the physical expansion of New Orleans International Airport (NOIA); approaches to regional cooperation used by airports in similar geopolitical circumstances (with ownership and authority over the airport in one political jurisdiction, the airport in another, and a need to expand in a third); and recommendations for changes by NOIA. Executive Summary, 26
pages. |
| March 1999 |
BGR Outlook on Jefferson: Tax Renewal on March 27 Election Ballot. An Analysis of four dedicated property tax millages on the ballot for renewal in Jefferson Parish. This is a 6 page report. All millages were renewed. |
| February 1999 |
BGR Outlook on Jefferson: Jefferson Parish Government Finances. An overview of Jefferson Parish government and the parish’s fiscal outlook, including final general government revenues and expenditures between 1988 and 1997, and an examination of the 1999 Jefferson Parish adopted operating budget. A copy of the News Release available. |
| February 1999 |
BGR Outlook on Orleans: The Sewerage and Water Board's Fee Proposals. This report provides background information and arguments "For" and "Against" two fee proposals presented by the Sewerage and Water Board and now before the New Orleans City Council for review. |
| December 1998 |
BGR Outlook on Orleans: Orleans Parish School Board. This is the first report in BGR’s Outlook series on the Orleans Parish School Board (OPSB). The purpose of this report is to provide an overview of the Board’s fiscal outlook with a focus on the FY1999 (July 1, 1998 through June 30, 1999) operating budget. A copy of the News Release issued in conjunction with this report is available. |
| November 1998 |
BGR’s Review and Analysis of The Real Property Service Charge Proposed by the City of New Orleans On December 5, voters in the City of New Orleans defeated a proposal to levy a property service charge on real estate. This report reviews the property service charge proposal. A copy of the News Release issued in conjunction with this report is available. |
| November 1998 |
BGR Outlook on Jefferson: The Department of Public Works. In this issue, BGR focuses on one specific area of local government—the public works function. The purpose of this report is to provide a brief overview of how this department is organized, where it receives its funding and how it spends its resources. |
| October 1998 |
BGR Report on the November 3, 1998 General Election: Tax District and Constitutional Amendments. This report provides a short analysis of the potential creation of three separate neighborhood-based special tax districts and a recommendation on two proposed amendments to the State Constitution. |
| September 1998 |
BGR Report on the Orleans Assessors Tax Proposal on October 3, 1998 Ballot. This report provides a short analysis of the proposal to levy a one-mill ad valorem tax to fund the offices of the Orleans Parish Assessors. |
| September 1998 |
BGR Report on Constitutional Amendments on the October 3, 1998 Ballot. This report provides a synopsis and short analysis of all 18 proposed amendments to the Louisiana Constitution on the October 3rd election ballot. A copy of the News Release issued in conjunction with this report is available. |
| September 1998 |
BGR school board watch "Educator, Reformer, and Manager: Can We Have It All? Searching for a New Superintendent for the New Orleans Public School" This issue of school board watch provides a status report on the search for a new superintendent and offers recommendations for strengthening the selection progress. A copy of the News Release issued in conjunction with this report is available. |
| August 1998 |
BGR Outlook on Orleans: The Criminal Sheriff and District Attorney. The 16-page report is devoted to an analysis of the function and budget of the Orleans Parish Criminal Sheriff and District Attorney. A copy of the News Release issued in conjunction with the report is also available. |
| July 1998 |
BGR Outlook on Jefferson: The Jefferson Parish School Board. This issue of the BGR Outlook on Jefferson examines the Jefferson Parish School Board's finances. The 16-page report analyzes the factors leading to recent operating budget deficits and discusses potential solutions. A copy of the News Release issued in conjunction with the report is also available. |
| July 1998 |
BGR Position: BGR Opposes 4-mill Property Tax Proposal for Jefferson Parish School Board. This is a 2-page position paper issued by BGR on a proposal by the Jefferson Parish School Board to renew and rededicate a 4-mill property tax for the school system. The proposal is on the July 18, 1998 election ballot in Jefferson Parish. |
| June 1998 |
Contracting Professional Services by Five Parish School Boards: Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard and St. Tammany (June 1998) BGR examines written and practiced policies and procedures used by five area school boards in the awarding of contracts for professional services. The 30-page report provides an overview of each school board’s practices and what changes BGR recommends to improve the contracting process. To review a copy of the News Release issued in conjunction with the report, click here. |
| April 1998 |
BGR school board watch. An analysis of the four Orleans Parish School Board Millage propositions of the May 2, 1998 election ballet. |
| March 1998 |
BGR Outlook on Jefferson: The Parish Council, the Sheriff, and the District Attorney. Fourth in a series of reports highlighting the finances of Jefferson Parish government. |
| March 1998 |
BGR Outlook on Orleans: Status Report on 1998 City Operating Budget. Second in a new series of publications that continues BGR's governmental oversight and monitoring of Orleans Parish governments. |
| December 1997 |
BGR Outlook on Jefferson: Sales Tax Rededication and Extension. Third in a series of reports highlighting the finances of Jefferson Parish government. This report examines the proposal put forth by the Jefferson Parish Council to extend and rededicate a one-cent sales tax that is due to expire in the year 2006. |
| November 1997 |
BGR Outlook on Orleans: Status Report on 1995 City Capital Program. First in a new series of publications that continues BGR's governmental oversight and monitoring of Orleans Parish governments. This first report provides a status report on the city capital improvements program approved by voters in 1995. |
| September 1997 |
BGR school board watch. "Items BGR is Looking for from the Orleans Parish School Board: Leadership and Management Essentials." Emphasis on the need for strategic planning and filling of various management positions. |
| September 1997 |
Rethinking Local Government: Trends and a National Perspective. A report prepared for the Commission on Government Reorganization examining the concept of government reorganization and how government reorganization has been handled in other cities. |
| July 1997 |
BGR Outlook on Jefferson: The Sheriff and the District Attorney. Second in a new series of reports highlighting the finances of Jefferson Parish government. Baseline report on the finances of the Office of the District Attorney and the Office of the Sheriff in Jefferson Parish. Also highlights juvenile crime in the parish. |
| May 1997 |
Consolidating Multiple Police Forces into One: The Feasibility of Consolidating Multiple law Enforcement Agencies in New Orleans. An analysis and recommendations on consolidation of the six major police forces operating in the City/Parish. Recommends measures short of full-scale consolidation of all forces. |
| May 1997 |
BGR Outlook on Jefferson: The Parish Council. First in a new series of reports highlighting the finances of Jefferson Parish government. Overview of parish general-purpose government revenues and expenditures over the past ten years and comparison of current-year operating budget. For a copy of the Press Release click here |
| January 1997 |
BGR school board watch. "Louisiana Education Reform Efforts Topic for BGR Breakfast Briefing February 4." Highlights of recommendations of LA LEARN Commission and update on Orleans Parish School Board financial matters. |
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