Home      Login

Abstract: 

The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented challenges to state and local governments in the United States, challenges that are not evenly distributed across the nation. Big cities in metropolitan areas—the very core of the nation’s productivity capacity—have been hit the hardest. As frontline responders, they face a budget crisis, as rapid expenditure increases and precipitous revenue declines lead to large budget gaps and increased demand for liquidity. This second of two symposiums examines the economic portfolios of Chicago, Dallas, Denver, and New Orleans, reviewing their baseline budgetary measures before the pandemic, early indicators of the pandemic’s impacts on their budgets, their immediate budgetary responses, and the implications of their budgetary decisions. The earlier symposium (MFJ, Vol. 42, No. 1) included four cities: Atlanta, Charlotte, Phoenix, and New York City, and described each city’s baseline budgetary measures before the pandemic, early indicators of the pandemic’s impacts on the city’s budget, the city’s budgetary responses, and the implications of these budgetary decisions. We do not intend to generalize these case studies to all big cities because each city has its specific circumstances. Nevertheless, the experiences of these cities’ provide important insights into municipal budgeting and financial management during a crisis.

Keywords: COVID-19, Municipal Budgets

Affiliations:  1: Louisiana State University.