Right now, it’s all hands on deck for local governments. Just performing day-to-day services can be challenging as needs increase and staff turnover is high.
This means local governments are in a bind between providing acute services and managing projects with longer term impact. Federal grants are one such example, as they come with specific reporting requirements, benchmarks, and timelines to meet.
Just when local leaders thought we were in the all clear, here comes Delta. The rise of this new COVID-19 variant has resulted in a significant wave of serious cases across the United States, including Illinois where it's the dominant variety. And it’s not the only variant. Scientists predict additional variants as vaccination rates lag.
The short-term rental market is taking off across America. Big cities, small towns—treehouses, even.
Local governments should consider whether rules and regulations should be put into place to manage this industry—and bring in additional funds for the community through registration fees or transient occupancy taxes.
In many communities, laws simply have not kept up with this changing market development. This guide gives community leaders some food for thought when starting the ordinance development process for short-term rental.
Interested in learning all about short-term rental platforms, regulation, administration of transient occupancy taxes, and tax compliance technology? Visit Localgov's short-term rental guide.
Welcome to the Azavar family, Lynwood, Illinois
Compliance audits really should be on every municipality’s to-do list. Because errors creep in tax rolls result in costly revenue leaks—and missed opportunities.
Local leaders across Missouri are scrambling to figure out how big a bite recent legislation will take out of their revenue streams over the next few years.
Gov. Mike Parsons recently signed a package of legislation that outlines how Missouri municipalities can collect online use tax. The state was the last in the country to reconcile the 2018 Supreme Court decision South Dakota v. Wayfair.
Part of the law includes a provision that cuts cable franchise fees in half by 2027. This has some communities panicking, as revenue from cable franchise fees shrivel over the past decade as consumers shift from traditional cable packages to streaming services.
At Azavar, we understand that local leaders are committed to the careful stewardship of every constituent dollar. That’s why we’re excited to announce our partnership with Webster, Texas.
Communities with populations less than 50,000 are now eligible to receive federal pandemic relief funds allocated through the American Rescue Plan.
These funds are critical for helping more than 1,250 small communities across Illinois recover pandemic-related costs and set up for long-term health and stability.
Tucked south of the Kansas border sits an Oklahoma town that wants to do right by its residents and business owners.
Azavar has been selected by Forest View, Illinois to conduct a comprehensive review of its taxes and fees. We are pleased to partner with this unique Cook County community, which lies along Chicago's west side border.
One key reason that municipalities seek out tax compliance audits is that they suspect what we call a revenue leak— a loss of income from taxes and fees caused by errors to tax rolls.
We’re excited to welcome yet another new customer to the Azavar family—Bath, New York. This town of more than 12,000 is located in New York State’s Finger Lakes region, a well-loved region known for recreation, agriculture, and viticulture.
When it comes to short-term rental administration, local governments need to accomplish several goals:
Just 35 miles outside of Houston, Dayton, Texas is a quiet community of more than 8,000. It was founded nearly 200 years ago and its location along the Trinity River made it a transportation center. Today, Dayton sits at the intersection of two major railroads and remains a regional hub.
After being in business for more than 25 years, we like to think that we understand local-government leaders. And one thing they all have in common is a desire to work hard on behalf of their constituents—and make their budgets work even harder.
ARP is sprinkling communities across America with much-needed federal funds—$58 billion, in fact. For many small-to-mid-size communities, these dollars are key to getting back on track, as well as planning for the future.
Municipalities and counties across the country are receiving funds from the American Rescue Plan aimed at restoring communities after the economic and public-health devastation of the pandemic. However, for small-to-mid-sized communities, ARP comes with its own set of challenges and questions.
Our team of federal-grant experts are skilled in working with local governments and have put together this list of some of the most frequently asked questions about this $1.9 trillion act.
As a longtime partner to local governments across the country, Azavar is keenly aware of the economic struggles that municipal leaders are tackling.
We are staying on top of positive economic indicators, such as a predicted boom in sales-tax revenue, as well as consumer trends like a swell in Baby Boomer travel and tourism.
More than a hundred years ago, this east Texas town was incorporated by a railroad executive specifically as a residential destination. Today, Bellaire is still known as the “City of Homes,” now for nearly 20,000 residents just a stone’s throw from Houston.
And we’re excited to announce that Bellaire, Texas is now part of our booming Texas customer base.
For the past year and a half, we’ve Zoomed into board meetings and City Halls all over the county. We’ve been sharing our message of how local governments can gain more control over their revenue picture with our 360 Degree Revenue Cloud approach.
We’re excited to count the Wheat Capital of Oklahoma in our growing customer list of 450+. Our team of seasoned local-government revenue experts is eager to take a fine-toothed comb to the city’s franchise fee receipts.
>> Did you know? Revenue leaks caused by missing or misallocated taxes and fees are very common. Download this checklist to see where you might be losing.
Decatur is a central Illinois community of 76,000, centered around agriculture, from crop sciences to farming machinery.
Southern California’s Chino Hills community is tucked at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. This area has experienced explosive population growth over the past 20 years and now boasts a population of nearly 84,000. Local leaders need more funds to keep up with expansion.
Chesterfield, Missouri is a peaceful and picturesque community tucked south of the Missouri River and to the west of St. Louis. With a stable population of nearly 50,000, Chesterfield is looking to maintain a steady budget while consistently improving quality of services for its residents.
At Azavar, we’ve been a partner to local governments for 25 years, helping grow incremental revenue, stabilize revenue, and stay on top of changing market conditions, from short-term rentals to cable cord-cutting. But the pandemic has sharpened our focus to helping connect municipalities with the funding it needs for the most critical services.
We are excited to announce our newest customer, Morgan City, Louisiana. This community is proud of its location “right in the middle of everywhere”—almost equidistant between New Orleans, Lafayette, and Baton Rouge—and we are proud to help Morgan City take control of its finances through a series of comprehensive compliance audits.
Today is Blue & Green Day, a part of California’s Donate Life Month. This celebration recognizes the vital role of organ, eye, and tissue donors.
All across the Lone Star State, we are proud to help more and more municipalities review revenue, ensure tax compliance, and stabilize their long-term revenue picture.
For local governments, it’s always been important to have a consistent flow of revenue to ensure stable finances. But with so much economic uncertainty, all communities should take a second look at revenue.
During the past year, many of our customers have seen revenue from sales taxes, food-and-beverage taxes, hotel-motel taxes, and other fees slow to a trickle.
But soon, Americans are going to be vaxxing and relaxing—and spending, too.
Local governments must consistently demonstrate that they are being prudent with revenue. That’s why it’s so important to make sure that every penny is is actually coming in to community coffers, funding critical needs as well as amenities.
Many local governments across the country have experienced devastating losses due to COVID-fueled lockdowns. Vaccination rates are growing rapidly, but in urban centers it can still be a Sisyphean effort to get jabbed.
In just 2020 alone, more than six million Americans nixed cable service in favor of getting content from a streaming platform. Some of the reasons include a desire to save on the cost of a costly cable package, lack of interest in much of what cable offers, and increased content quality from competitors.
One of our staffers was scrolling through Instagram the other day and was struck by the sheer number of ads for travel. Almost every ad was for some kind of bed-and-breakfast, outdoor adventure experience, glampground, big-name short-term rental service, etc.
Throughout our history as a company, we know how dependent state and local governments are for revenue through various sources, from sales tax to hospitality tax, and beyond.
Starting this Wednesday, the Biden Administration is limiting applications for the Paycheck Protection Program exclusively to businesses with fewer than 20 employees. This small-business-only period will last for 14 days and allow lenders to focus on the needs of these businesses, which comprise 98% of small businesses.
We’re excited to offer that keen insight and real dollars to our new customer, Bedford, Texas, through a series of in-depth revenue reviews and short-term rental administration.
During this Black History Month, we are taking time to honor the contributions of Black civic leaders. These spectacular public servants have shaped the American experience in remarkable ways and sharing their stories is important to us at Azavar.
During natural disasters, World Central Kitchens, led by chef/humanitarian José Andrés, partners with local restaurants in impacted areas to create fresh meals for hungry folks. For more than a decade, WCK has shown up offering meals to National Guard members during the Inauguration, the bombing in Beirut, and Texas during Hurricane Laura. And that's just in the past year.
At Azavar, we always encourage communities to take a keen eye to its revenue receipts. Whether you’re talking about hotel-motel or sales taxes, franchise or short-term rental fees, it’s important to do stay on top of what’s coming into your community coffers. But it’s so hard for finance teams to find the time and resources to conduct in-depth revenue reviews.
That’s why we’re excited to partner with Calumet Park, Illinois to review this city’s hotel-motel taxes.
During this Black History Month, we are taking time to honor the contributions of Black civic leaders. These spectacular public servants have shaped the American experience in remarkable ways and sharing their stories is important to us at Azavar.
Harold Washington was Chicago’s 51st mayor, but in 1983, became its first Black mayor.
During this Black History Month, we are taking time to honor the contributions of Black civic leaders. These spectacular public servants have shaped the American experience in remarkable ways and sharing their stories is important to us at Azavar.
Pretty much everyone loves chocolate cake, right? Sinking your teeth into a decadent slice of moist cake slathered in the frosting of your choice … it really doesn’t get much better than that.
Treat yourself to a slice (or two) of chocolate cake from your favorite local bakery today. It’s a great moment of self care, and helps support small businesses. And we all know that Main Street businesses can use every penny right now.
More than ever, local governments need to make sure they’re getting what their due via existing taxes and fees. Azavar is excited to help Palmview with a thorough examination of its franchise fees and sales-tax receipts. Because when city finances are strong, cities are strong.
We are incredibly excited to welcome the Lafayette Consolidated Government to the Azavar family of customer. This entity oversees administration of Lafayette Parish, the City of Lafayette, and select other areas through an intergovernmental agreement.
Our clients always want to make sure they have a handle on what’s going on with their receivables. But rarely do municipalities have the time or resources in house to do the kind of frequent, comprehensive revenue reviews to really make sure. That’s what was going on with College Place, Washington.
Download the full case study today and share with your team.
We are excited to welcome this community to our roster of customers. Tucked in the northeast corner of Pennsylvania, Mount Pocono is part of the Poconos Mountains region known around the world for scenery, recreation, and restoration.
Editor's Note, March 2021: We ran this piece a few months ago and we're hearing from many local leaders who are taking action based on these recommendations. Have you examined your utility payables yet? Our team of experts can help.
Many consumers have grown accustomed to frequently searching for better deals on utilities, from cable to electric to phone. But how often do municipalities do the same? However, local governments can experience significant savings from switching.
“Often, local leaders just don’t know how much they stand to save,” says Mordecai Benson, Azavar analyst. “But the results can be significant.”
Here are just a few of the ways Azavar has helped local governments reclaim real dollars on behalf of their residents:
To say that 2020 was an annus horribilis (that’s “horrible year” in Latin) is just a vast understatement. But we’re looking ahead to 2021 to be a wonderful year of recovery and rebuilding, powered by access to an affordable vaccine, unprecedented creativity, and the resilience of humanity.
We’re excited to announce that we’ve partnered with Texarkana, Texas on a whole host of revenue reviews.
We’re excited to work with Mammoth, Arizona’s financial team to make sure this community is getting all the funds it deserves. Our team is eager to analyze Mammoth's franchise-fee remittances, hotel-motel taxes, and more.
Local governments have always had to track down every possible penny. And nowadays? It’s absolutely critical.
Azavar’s team of local government revenue experts partnered with Springfield, Illinois on a comprehensive review and discovered nearly $1 million in uncollected cable franchise fees. That’s not pocket change! Learn all about it here.
Impressed? Set up a time to speak with our team about how we can partner with your municipality. We’ll take a look at your books and get to work for you—with no upfront costs.
The hospitality sector’s really taken it in the teeth this year, thanks to COVID. But December 10 is National Lager Day! Pick up some of this classic German beer style at your favorite bar or brewery near you.
Azavar’s team of local-government analysts and experts will work with Kingsville’s finance team on a review of the city’s franchise fees and sales tax. Together, we’ll identify revenue Kingsville can use to support its growing community.
As a friend to state and local governments, Azavar is always happy to see media portray civic employees as brave, committed, and creative leaders. (Parks & Recreation is one of our favorite shows, of course.)
It’s flu-shot season! You’ve been reminded, hounded, harped at by partners, friends, doctors, and leaders to get your flu shot this season. But we’re going to do it, too. Get your flu shot already!
Our team of experts at Azavar works closely with a range of municipalities to secure all possible disaster-response funding available, including during the pandemic. We understand that when communities have more funds, that results in direct relief for real people—their jobs, their businesses, their lives.
May 2021 Note: Since writing this post originally in Oct. 2021, local governments have received aid from the federal government through the American Rescue Plan. We've catalogued all our posts about relief for municipalities, and continue to help customers to secure and manage recovery grants. Let's talk about how our revenue discovery system can help your municipality make long-term investments that benefit your taxpayers.
Note: April 2021 We first published this piece during the first wave of the pandemic, before any news of a vaccine or substantial federal aid. During this time, Azavar's founder, Jason Perry, remained hopeful that local governments would weather this economic and social storm.
Through programs such as the American Rescue Plan, local governments are receiving support that can turn into short-term stability and long-term strategic investments. Uncertainty is still present, but local governments are more in control of revenue than just a few months ago. However, this piece still has valuable lessons and predictions from a long-time partner to local governments.
We are all trying to make sense of the current moment, personally, socially, and economically. While we are still at the beginning of what the events of 2020 will mean for society at large, we are starting to discern what the core challenges are—even if we don’t quite see a way to navigate them yet.
As the head of a professional-services firm focused on the needs of local governments, I’m challenged to see this time through the eyes of civic leaders. People like my father, who was a city manager in Illinois, as well as our hundreds of clients. This time presents unique opportunities for local governments and I’ve arrived at a three-prong approach as to how these leaders can take on these issues.
Sometimes, it’s easy to identify a revenue leak. There’s a steady, annoying drip-drip-drip of funds draining away your budget’s potential. But at other times, leaks aren’t quite so obvious. Revenue leaders might suspect there’s a problem but lack the time or resources to do the research needed to identify the source.
We are very excited to count this bustling city among our newest clients. Our team of seasoned revenue-review professionals is excited to get to work on behalf of College Place, specifically looking at short-term rental and utility taxes. We can’t wait to bring home the bacon for this town of nearly 9,000.
