Read more to learn how Azavar recouped utility taxes and gave local leaders peace of mind
A bucolic college town in the heart of Illinois, Normal is a creative and cosmopolitan town home to Illinois State University (Go, Redbirds!). The area offers more than 50,000 residents ample access to active recreation, such as rails-to-trails cycling conversions, the Illinois Shakespeare Festival, and a children’s museum and planetarium. The economy is also robust, offering residents access to quality employment through the local universities, Bloomington-based State Farm, and an electric-vehicle manufacturing plant. In 2020, the Rivian factory received a contract from Amazon to build 100,000 custom delivery vehicles. Truly, Normal is a Midwestern town on the rise.
Local Leaders Carefully Manage Finances
Everything looks rosy in Normal on the fiscal front, too. Like most mid-sized American cities, the Great Recession took its toll, but through careful financial footwork from a team headed by Mayor Chris Koos, in office since 2003, Normal has managed to weather well the storm. “We recognize that a strong local economy is the cornerstone of good government,” Koos reflects. And it shows. His team’s prudent management and careful planning have allowed Normal to invest in constituent-focused projects while also shoring the community up for rainy days. Part of that smart fiscal management includes constant vigilance over the equity and accuracy of its tax-assessment and fee collections—especially with regard to utility-user taxes.
Maximizing Resources with a Seasoned Partner
However, for a town Normal’s size that likes to run a lean operation, the trouble was how to balance resource allocation and potential financial rewards. Koos and company didn’t want to fund a full-time, on-staff auditor, but Normal did want the additional transparency and funds, and to hold utility providers accountable for errors.
So Normal turned to a reputable partner with a long and storied track record in local-government revenue reviews: Azavar. For more than 25 years, Azavar has conducted municipal audits in conjunction with governments on tax topics such as electricity, food and beverage, fuel, hospitality, natural gas, short-term rentals, telecom, waste, and more. But more than just Azavar’s experience, Koos was pleased that the firm’s contingency-based fee structure met Normal’s needs. "It was a no-risk proposition for us,” says Koos, “we would share any savings or new revenue that we realized, but if nothing was discovered, we would not owe Azavar any money.”
