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Tax Policy

Local revenue to fund long-term infrastructure costs

May 2022

Communities need resilient revenue strategies to fund the long-term costs of capital improvements and infrastructure.

Diversifying revenue on New Mexico state trust lands

September 2021

New activities can help guarantee and diversify future revenue from New Mexico state trust lands, complementing the successful Land Grant Permanent Fund.

Federal Fossil Fuel Disbursements to States

June 2021

An oil well on Bureau of Land Management land in New Mexico

States tend to spend, rather than save, federal fossil fuel disbursements, potentially making them vulnerable to economic transitions.

How state and local budgets are vulnerable to climate change

May 2021

Flooding in Austin, Minnesota. Photo: Tim Ruzek

Climate change has the potential to destabilize general operating budgets and constrain access to lending markets. These presentations share promising solutions for “climate-proofing” budgets.

Why fiscal policy solutions are necessary

February 2021

This panel discussion, with examples from Montana and New Mexico, examines how fiscal policies have failed rural communities.

Fiscal policy is failing rural America

October 2020

State and federal fiscal policies hurt rural communities by limiting how local governments can grow, diversify, and invest revenue.

The health and fiscal vulnerability of rural recreation counties

April 2020

Hikers visit Arches National Park in Utah.

Where rural recreation counties rely on public funding for health care, fiscal solutions should diversify the ways local governments can save and spend.

Building a Federal Land Endowment

March 2020

Commercial receipts earned from management of public lands.

The bipartisan Forest Health for Rural Stability Act would establish a federal land endowment and resolve key challenges of federal land payments to counties.

PILT Proposal Would Help Small-Population Counties

December 2019

Headwaters-staff-Mark-Haggerty

Analysis shows raising Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) population limits for small-population counties would have increased total payments by $2 million in 2019.

Endowing Federal Public Land Counties

January 2018

Logging Truck, County Payments, endowing federal public land counties

Reforming county payments by establishing a permanent Trust to fund Secure Rural Schools (SRS).

Comparing Coal Fiscal Policies for Western States

November 2017

coal fiscal policies

Coal fiscal policies vary widely across the West in terms of how revenue is generated, set aside in permanent savings, or spent by state and local governments.

President’s Budget Proposal Cuts County Payments

June 2017

New analysis and interactive map show how the President’s budget proposal cuts county payments and the impact for every county in the nation.

Time to Create a Natural Resources Trust

March 2017

Unlike most countries and state governments, the U.S. has not created a natural resources trust which could help meet volatility and spending challenges facing local and county governments.

Federal Coal Program in Context

October 2016

Explore the Socioeconomic Context of the Federal Coal Leasing Program

County Payments Research

October 2016

Logging Truck, County Payments, endowing federal public land counties

County governments are compensated for the tax-exempt status of federal public lands within their boundaries. These payments often constitute a significant portion of county and school budgets, particularly in rural counties with extensive public land ownership.

Wildlife Refuge Payments: Reforms and Funding

April 2016

Headwaters-staff-Mark-Haggerty

How national wildlife refuge payments–especially important to rural counties–could be reformed and funded.

Reforming Wildlife Refuge Payments

April 2016

How county governments can benefit from reforming wildlife refuge payments.

Outcomes of Higher Federal Coal and Natural Gas Royalty Rates

December 2015

coal-shovel-and-haul-truck

Analysis shows that proposed federal royalty reforms will increase the cost of delivering natural gas to domestic power plants by a greater amount than coal.

Coal Royalty Reform: Impact on Prices, Production, and State Revenue

August 2015

The proposed federal coal royalty reform rule could have substantial revenue benefits for federal and state governments, limited impact on coal production or prices on federal lands, and increased transparency.

County Payment Reform Ideas, and Analysis of Recent Proposals

April 2015

Bar chart showing payments to counties

Reform ideas for future county payments from Headwaters Economics as well analysis of proposals made in the House, Senate, and by the President.

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