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Van Buren County – Government Finance

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Government finances play a pivotal role in shaping the local economy, influencing economic growth, stability, and the overall well-being of communities. The impact of government finances on the local economy can be analyzed through several key mechanisms, including public spending, taxation, debt management, and fiscal policies. These elements collectively determine the flow of resources, the level of economic activity, and the quality of life for residents.

  1. Public Spending and Investment One of the most direct ways government finances affect the local economy is through public spending. Governments allocate funds to infrastructure projects, education, healthcare, public safety, and social services. These investments create jobs, stimulate demand for goods and services, and enhance the productivity of the local workforce. For instance, building roads, bridges, and public transportation systems not only provides immediate employment opportunities but also improves connectivity, reducing transportation costs for businesses and facilitating trade. Similarly, investments in education and healthcare contribute to a skilled and healthy workforce, which is essential for long-term economic growth.

  2. Taxation Policies Taxation is another critical component of government finances that impacts the local economy. Taxes fund public services and infrastructure, but they also influence the behavior of individuals and businesses. High tax rates can discourage investment and consumption, potentially stifling economic growth. Conversely, low tax rates may attract businesses and stimulate spending but can lead to budget deficits if not managed properly. Progressive taxation, where higher-income individuals pay a larger share, can reduce income inequality and increase disposable income for lower-income households, boosting local demand for goods and services.

  3. Debt Management Government borrowing and debt management also have significant implications for the local economy. When governments borrow to finance deficits or invest in long-term projects, they can stimulate economic activity in the short term. However, excessive debt can lead to higher interest rates, crowding out private investment, and increasing the risk of financial instability. Effective debt management ensures that borrowing is sustainable and that funds are used efficiently to generate economic returns.

  4. Fiscal Policies Fiscal policies, including government spending and taxation, are tools used to manage economic cycles. During economic downturns, expansionary fiscal policies, such as increased spending and tax cuts, can stimulate demand and help the economy recover. Conversely, during periods of high inflation, contractionary fiscal policies, such as reduced spending and higher taxes, can help cool down the economy. The timing and effectiveness of these policies are crucial in stabilizing the local economy and maintaining public confidence.

  5. Social and Economic Equity Government finances also play a role in promoting social and economic equity. Redistributive policies, such as social welfare programs and subsidies, can reduce poverty and inequality, leading to a more inclusive economy. By providing a safety net for vulnerable populations, governments can ensure that all residents have access to basic needs, which in turn supports overall economic stability and growth.

  6. Conclusion In summary, government finances have a profound impact on the local economy through public spending, taxation, debt management, and fiscal policies. Effective management of these financial tools can stimulate economic growth, reduce inequality, and enhance the quality of life for residents. Conversely, poor financial management can lead to economic instability, reduced investment, and social unrest. Therefore, it is essential for governments to adopt prudent fiscal policies and ensure that financial resources are allocated efficiently and equitably to support sustainable economic development.

A key indicator for comparison is how much government collects, spends and and establishes debt for each resident under its perview.

The revenue per resident at the local level is:

5,827.98

The expenses per resident at the local level is:

5,576.44

The outstanding debt per resident at the local level is:

5,191.06

 
Van BurenMichiganNational



LocalLocalLocalLocalStateState
PerContri-PerContri-PerContri-
LocalPer CentStatePer CentCapitabutionNationalPer CentCapitabutionCapitabution
Description(,000's)Per Capitato Total(,000's)Per Capitato TotalIndexIndex(,000's)Per Capitato TotalIndexIndexIndexIndex

Revenue445,4795,827.98100.0058,229,5195,728.77100.001.021.002,344,548,4806,947.35100.000.841.000.821.00

  General revenue411,1865,379.3492.3054,818,3105,393.1694.141.000.982,168,968,4006,427.0792.510.841.000.841.02

    Intergovernmental revenue225,3192,947.7450.5827,575,1862,712.9247.361.091.07808,559,1482,395.9234.491.231.471.131.37
      From Federal government9,297121.632.093,355,947330.175.760.370.36146,274,793433.446.240.280.330.760.92
      From State government216,0222,826.1148.4924,219,2392,382.7541.591.191.17662,284,3551,962.4828.251.441.721.211.47
      From local government00.000.0000.000.000.000.0000.000.000.000.000.000.00

    General revenue from own sources185,8672,431.6041.7227,243,1242,680.2546.790.910.891,360,409,2524,031.1558.020.600.720.660.81
      Taxes145,2411,900.1232.6015,997,8801,573.9127.471.211.19894,124,7052,649.4638.140.720.850.590.72
        Property142,2741,861.3031.9414,562,4321,432.6925.011.301.28627,434,2421,859.2126.761.001.190.770.93
        Sales & gross receipts90.120.00344,75033.920.590.000.00165,801,503491.307.070.000.000.070.08
          General sales00.000.0000.000.000.000.00125,994,306373.355.370.000.000.000.00
          Selective sales90.120.00344,75033.920.590.000.0039,807,197117.961.700.000.000.290.35
            Motor fuel sales00.000.0000.000.000.000.001,892,6875.610.080.000.000.000.00
            Alcoholic beverage sales00.000.0000.000.000.000.00845,0352.500.040.000.000.000.00
            Tobacco product sales00.000.0000.000.000.000.00318,8170.940.010.000.000.000.00
            Public utilities00.000.0050,2534.940.090.000.0015,744,64746.650.670.000.000.110.13
            Other selective sales90.120.00294,49728.970.510.000.0021,006,01162.240.900.000.000.470.56
        Individual income tax00.000.00694,37568.311.190.000.0044,730,192132.541.910.000.000.520.63
        Corporate income tax00.000.0000.000.000.000.0011,009,92732.620.470.000.000.000.00
        Motor vehicle license00.000.0000.000.000.000.002,263,6136.710.100.000.000.000.00
        Other taxes2,95838.700.66396,32338.990.680.990.9842,885,228127.081.830.300.360.310.37

      Charges & misc general revenue40,626531.499.1211,245,2441,106.3419.310.480.47466,284,5471,381.6919.890.380.460.800.97
        Current charges27,264356.686.128,857,304871.4015.210.410.40365,048,3361,081.7115.570.330.390.810.98
          Education5,97978.221.341,114,708109.671.910.710.7019,143,89456.730.821.381.641.932.34
            Institution of higher education00.000.00480,36047.260.820.000.007,681,25722.760.330.000.002.082.52
            School lunch sales (gross)3234.230.0733,7683.320.061.271.251,566,4414.640.070.911.090.720.87
          Hospitals00.000.00815,83680.261.400.000.00124,953,811370.265.330.000.000.220.26
          Highways00.000.00135,65413.350.230.000.0010,287,28930.480.440.000.000.440.53
          Air transportation (airports)2293.000.05466,71045.920.800.070.0622,414,40266.420.960.050.050.690.84
          Parking facilities00.000.0069,0786.800.120.000.002,924,3498.670.120.000.000.780.95
          Sea and inland port facilities00.000.003,9580.390.010.000.004,760,82614.110.200.000.000.030.03
          Natural resources1121.470.0314,1801.400.021.051.032,531,1967.500.110.200.230.190.23
          Parks and recreation1,54120.160.35202,38319.910.351.011.009,708,20828.770.410.700.840.690.84
          Housing and comm development91511.970.2154,9605.410.092.212.187,308,73521.660.310.550.660.250.30
          Sewerage7,724101.051.732,508,616246.804.310.410.4068,695,647203.562.930.500.591.211.47
          Solid waste management00.000.00307,94430.300.530.000.0021,694,93864.290.930.000.000.470.57
          Other charges10,764140.822.423,163,277311.215.430.450.4470,625,041209.283.010.670.801.491.80

        Miscellaneous general revenue13,362174.813.002,387,940234.934.100.740.73101,236,211299.984.320.580.690.780.95
          Interest earnings1,19415.620.27231,49222.770.400.690.6710,227,01630.300.440.520.610.750.91
          Special assessments3,35843.930.75231,92122.820.401.931.8915,026,42544.530.640.991.180.510.62
          Sale of property3845.020.0993,3459.180.160.550.543,784,73711.210.160.450.530.820.99
          Other general revenue8,426110.231.891,831,182180.163.140.610.6072,198,033213.943.080.520.610.841.02

  Utility revenue34,293448.647.703,411,209335.605.861.341.31173,592,043514.397.400.871.040.650.79
    Water supply9,714127.082.181,856,558182.653.190.700.6880,167,107237.553.420.530.640.770.93
    Electric power24,579321.555.521,505,988148.162.592.172.1378,135,733231.533.331.391.660.640.78
    Gas supply00.000.0000.000.000.000.007,630,12322.610.330.000.000.000.00
    Transit00.000.0048,6634.790.080.000.007,659,08022.700.330.000.000.210.26

  Liquor store revenue00.000.0000.000.000.000.001,988,0375.890.080.000.000.000.00

  Insurance trust revenue00.000.0000.000.000.000.00162,8580.480.010.000.000.000.00
    Unemployment compensation00.000.0000.000.000.000.00162,8580.480.010.000.000.000.00
    Employee retirement00.000.0000.000.000.000.0000.000.000.000.000.000.00
    Workers' compensation00.000.0000.000.000.000.0000.000.000.000.000.000.00
    Other insurance trust revenue00.000.0000.000.000.000.0000.000.000.000.000.000.00

Expenditure426,2525,576.44100.0056,312,1575,540.13100.001.011.002,254,418,5176,680.28100.000.831.000.831.00

  Intergovernmental expenditure00.000.0000.000.000.000.0000.000.000.000.000.000.00
  Direct expenditure426,2525,576.44100.0056,312,1575,540.13100.001.011.002,254,418,5176,680.28100.000.831.000.831.00
    Current operation377,7774,942.2788.6348,004,9714,722.8585.251.051.041,887,390,8875,592.7083.720.881.060.841.02
    Capital outlay34,939457.098.206,430,240632.6211.420.720.72284,581,195843.2712.620.540.650.750.90
      Construction34,939457.098.206,430,240632.6211.420.720.72284,581,195843.2712.620.540.650.750.90
    Assistance and subsidies00.000.0071,2457.010.130.000.002,376,9447.040.110.000.001.001.20
    Interest on debt13,536177.083.181,805,701177.653.211.000.9980,069,491237.263.550.750.890.750.90
    Insurance benefits and repayments00.000.0000.000.000.000.0039,9940.120.000.000.000.000.00
    Exhibit: salaries & wages140,3401,836.0032.9214,319,2991,408.7725.431.301.29525,546,0041,557.2923.311.181.410.901.09

  Direct expenditure by function426,2525,576.44100.0056,312,1575,540.13100.001.011.002,254,418,5176,680.28100.000.831.000.831.00
    Direct general expenditure419,8265,492.3798.4952,809,7355,195.5593.781.061.052,024,660,7925,999.4689.810.921.100.871.04
      Capital outlay31,994418.567.515,526,302543.699.810.770.76233,677,777692.4310.370.600.720.790.95


Education services:
      Other direct general expenditure387,8325,073.8190.9947,283,4334,651.8683.971.091.081,790,983,0155,307.0379.440.961.150.881.06
      Education249,4523,263.4658.5224,083,9552,369.4442.771.381.37862,837,2522,556.7538.271.281.530.931.12
          Capital outlay14,551190.363.412,837,061279.125.040.680.6889,314,081264.653.960.720.861.051.27
        Higher education00.000.001,529,608150.492.720.000.0046,067,730136.512.040.000.001.101.33
          Capital outlay00.000.00235,56623.180.420.000.005,394,84215.990.240.000.001.451.75
        Elementary & Secondary education249,4523,263.4658.5222,483,1022,211.9439.931.481.47814,392,5782,413.2036.121.351.620.921.11
          Capital outlay14,551190.363.412,601,495255.944.620.740.7483,919,239248.673.720.770.921.031.24
        Other education00.000.0071,2457.010.130.000.002,376,9447.040.110.000.001.001.20
      Libraries4,85363.491.14458,51545.110.811.411.4013,625,82240.380.601.571.881.121.35


Social services and income maintenance:
      Public welfare2,30130.100.541,467,817144.412.610.210.2167,699,317200.613.000.150.180.720.87
        Other public welfare2,30130.100.541,467,817144.412.610.210.2167,699,317200.613.000.150.180.720.87
      Hospitals90.120.00901,76088.721.600.000.00141,312,054418.736.270.000.000.210.26
        Capital outlay00.000.0023,5162.310.040.000.006,546,84619.400.290.000.000.120.14
      Health6,11880.041.442,696,658265.304.790.300.3077,108,561228.493.420.350.421.161.40
      Social insurance administration00.000.0000.000.000.000.0035,9470.110.000.000.000.000.00
      Veterans' services00.000.0000.000.000.000.0000.000.000.000.000.000.00

Transportaion:
      Highways29,637387.736.953,510,705345.396.231.121.1282,616,882244.813.661.581.901.411.70
        Capital outlay6,05779.241.42777,82476.521.381.041.0330,060,50189.081.330.891.070.861.04
      Air transportation (airports)5407.060.13516,08850.770.920.140.1428,556,24984.621.270.080.100.600.72
      Parking facilities00.000.0032,9883.250.060.000.002,108,1706.250.090.000.000.520.63
      Sea and inland port facilities00.000.003,1310.310.010.000.004,034,90811.960.180.000.000.030.03

Public safety:
      Police protection13,611178.073.192,403,069236.424.270.750.75119,298,947353.515.290.500.600.670.81
      Fire protection11,064144.742.601,280,672126.002.271.151.1464,033,823189.742.840.760.910.660.80
      Correction3,06940.150.72638,35162.801.130.640.6432,595,24396.591.450.420.500.650.78
        Capital outlay00.000.0046,7354.600.080.000.00915,2972.710.040.000.001.702.04
      Protective inspection & regulation1,43518.770.34187,01318.400.331.021.017,062,87020.930.310.901.070.881.06

Environment and housing:
      Natural resources1,30317.050.3148,8044.800.093.553.5313,342,66139.540.590.430.520.120.15
        Capital outlay3354.380.086,4440.630.016.916.874,485,96313.290.200.330.390.050.06
      Parks and recreation4,93664.581.16934,15891.901.660.700.7043,717,263129.541.940.500.600.710.86
        Capital outlay3,50145.800.82203,42520.010.362.292.2710,096,60129.920.451.531.830.670.81
      Housing and comm development2,60534.080.61496,78848.880.880.700.6958,336,344172.862.590.200.240.280.34
      Sewerage12,066157.852.833,272,189321.935.810.490.4968,504,527202.993.040.780.931.591.91
        Capital outlay6358.310.15424,23241.740.750.200.2023,319,98269.101.030.120.140.600.73
      Solid waste management91812.010.22554,50254.550.980.220.2228,653,83084.911.270.140.170.640.77
        Capital outlay00.000.0012,7741.260.020.000.001,863,1165.520.080.000.000.230.27

Governmental administration:
      Financial administration3,23542.320.76568,21655.901.010.760.7523,707,42470.251.050.600.720.800.96
      Judicial and legal11,226146.862.631,342,358132.062.381.111.1027,887,73782.641.241.782.131.601.93
      General public buildings3,09740.520.73233,34922.960.411.761.7513,643,40540.430.611.001.200.570.68
      Other governmental administration6,62686.681.55722,53971.091.281.221.2137,267,357110.431.650.780.940.640.78
      Interest on general debt12,063157.812.831,487,554146.352.641.081.0766,807,524197.962.960.800.950.740.89

General expenditures, n.e.c.:
      Misc commercial activities00.000.0087,2128.580.150.000.002,707,8798.020.120.000.001.071.29
      Other and unallocable39,662518.889.304,881,344480.248.671.081.07137,158,796406.436.081.281.531.181.42

Utility expenditures:
    Utility expenditure6,42684.071.513,502,422344.586.220.240.24228,078,201675.8410.120.120.150.510.61
        Capital outlay2,94538.530.69903,93888.931.610.430.4350,897,505150.822.260.260.310.590.71
      Water supply3,36243.980.791,593,449156.772.830.280.2882,479,587244.403.660.180.220.640.77
      Electric power1,18415.490.281,139,911112.152.020.140.1473,696,368218.383.270.070.080.510.62
      Gas supply00.000.0000.000.000.000.007,182,24421.280.320.000.000.000.00
      Transit1,88024.600.44769,06275.661.370.330.3264,720,002191.782.870.130.150.390.48

Liquor store expenditures:
    Liquor store expenditure00.000.0000.000.000.000.001,679,5244.980.070.000.000.000.00

Insurance trust expenditures:
    Insurance trust expenditure00.000.0000.000.000.000.0039,9940.120.000.000.000.000.00
      Unemployment compensation00.000.0000.000.000.000.0039,9940.120.000.000.000.000.00
      Employee retirement00.000.0000.000.000.000.0000.000.000.000.000.000.00
      Workers' compensation00.000.0000.000.000.000.0000.000.000.000.000.000.00
      Other insurance trust00.000.0000.000.000.000.0000.000.000.000.000.000.00

Debt outstanding396,7945,191.06100.0045,360,7064,462.70100.001.161.002,042,775,1706,053.14100.000.861.000.741.00

  Short-term debt outstanding1,85024.200.47221,59521.800.491.110.9528,356,92884.031.390.290.340.260.35
  Long-term debt outstanding394,9445,166.8599.5345,139,1114,440.9099.511.161.002,014,418,2425,969.1198.610.871.010.741.01

Long-term debt issued79,939NANA5,663,846NANANANA264,717,314NANANANANANA
Long-term debt retired80,761NANA4,863,164NANANANA218,916,559NANANANANANA


Sources: STI: PopStats and STI: Colossus