Eric Johnson7 days ago2 minHow often is enough? When should you update your feesAs a fee consultant, the question that I get asked most often is, “How often should we be updating our fees?” Once I dispose of the...
Rick KermerApr 112 minSeeking Civil Society - Redux“Yes, Virginia, It Does Matter Whose Ox is Gored.” I’m sincerely interested in promoting civil society. As a preface to this article, I...
Eric JohnsonFeb 101 minCSMFO ConferenceIf you are attending the CSMFO Conference in San Diego next week, please stop by Booth 313 and say Hi. And if you are coming on Tuesday,...
Eric JohnsonNov 15, 20212 minTaxes already pay staff’s salaries, don’t they?A question that I am often asked by City Council members is, “Aren’t taxes already paying staff’s salaries, so why do we need to worry...
Rick KermerOct 18, 20213 minPreparing for Climate Change as a Finance DirectorI remember enjoying the early Tom Clancy novels. In 1994, I heard that his latest novel, Debt of Honor, involved a commercial airliner...
Chu ThaiSep 14, 20213 minBut Wait…There’s More! A Fee Study Gives You More Than Additional RevenuesThe common understanding is that a fee study is performed to increase city revenues (even though the conversation should be about...
Scott ThorpeAug 16, 20212 minThe Effect of Time on Saved MoneyI’m going to keep this short, but I think it’s powerful. It’s about what happens to your saved money over time. I was recently contacted...
Eric JohnsonJul 11, 20212 minAnother Look at Proposition 26In a recent article, I talked about Proposition 4, passed in 1979, as the godfather of voter initiatives that defined service fees and...
Rick KermerJun 15, 20213 minModified Deposit Fees to the RescueAfter calculating the full cost for a current development-related application, the RCS effort turns to the process of cost recovery by...
Chu ThaiMay 17, 20212 minAlways give 100% at workI always give 100% at work; 10% on Monday, another 20% on Tuesday, 40% on Wednesday, almost done with another 10% on Thursday, and the...
Scott ThorpeApr 19, 20213 minThe difference between COA and DIF ProjectsThe City needs capital additions to its many infrastructures in order to continue to be able meet the service demand needs of new...
Eric JohnsonMar 15, 20212 minGovernment as a Business - an idea past its time?When the authors of Proposition 4 in 1979 were writing the ballot measure it was based on the idea that government should act more like a...
Rick KermerFeb 15, 20213 minEvolution of the Hourly RateA recent question on the CSMFO website was from a finance director that wondered what to do when the fiscal year had twenty-seven pay...
Chu ThaiJan 26, 20212 minGratitude for 2020I am certainly happy that we’re in 2021, and there’s a vaccine for the virus which has affected all our lives and killed over 2 Million...
Scott ThorpeDec 16, 20205 minRCS Impact Fees are Battle TestedThe last thing I ever needed to hear from one of my clients was “We are being sued over our impact fees”. Never fun. But that is just...
Eric JohnsonNov 16, 20202 minDo You Need a Fee Audit?After going through the process of doing a Fee Study and getting the fees approved by your Council, your thoughts turn to having a really...
Chu ThaiOct 20, 20206 minSetting the Record Straight on PRA FeesThe California Public Records Act (PRA), all the supplementary legislation, and numerous court decisions has made it clear and specific...
Rick KermerAug 9, 20204 minThe Perfect Fiscal StormMy hometown is asking voters to approve a sales tax increase of 1.25% in November 2020. I know they need the money, but it is certainly a...
Scott ThorpeJun 21, 20203 minAccessory Dwelling Unit Impact Fee CalculationIn July of 2017, I wrote my first RCS article about Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) in which I merely identified the differing types of...
Rick KermerMay 11, 20206 minDevelopment’s Winners and LosersThere are four players in the development game: developers, contractors, landowners and residents. Each plays a critical role, and each...