Government and Public Policy
Critical Insights for Sound Public Policy
Governments are confronted with difficult choices regarding how they raise and allocate resources, design and implement programs in ways that provide opportunities and improve the quality of life of their citizens. ESI's government and public policy practice combines rigorous analytical capabilities with a depth of experience to help evaluate and design effective public policies and benchmark and recommend sound governance practices.
The Latest Insights
Fiscal Management and Planning
Strong fiscal management practices are essential for government officials to make informed, smart decisions for the citizenry. ESI has a proven track record of partnering with our clients to develop implementable solutions, including: multi-year financial planning, budget development, revenue forecasting, financial distress and emergency financial planning, fee/cost of service analysis, capital improvement planning, credit analysis and workforce analysis.
Early Intervention Program: Borough of Pottstown
ESI, McNees Wallace & Nurick LLC , and SRW Strategies were engaged by the Borough of Pottstown to assist in developing a five-year financial plan as part of the Commonwealth’s Early Intervention Program.
Act 47 Recovery Coordinator for City of Chester
ESI, in partnership with the law firm of McNees Wallace & Nurick, served as the Act 47 Recovery Coordinator for the City of Chester until Summer 2020 when the City was placed into Receivership by Pennsylvania Governor Wolf.
Economic and Financial Recovery Strategies
The pandemic and recession have changed the landscape of industries, commercial corridors and communities across the country. ESI combines carefully monitoring of the latest insights with proven experience in economic development to help jurisdictions and business districts think through the smartest ways to rebuild activity.
Financial Projections in the Age of COVID: Bucks County Consortium
ESI was retained by the Bucks County Consortium to provide a county-wide analysis of actual and projected changes in major revenue sources impacting Consortium members through the end of 2021.
Economic Development Strategy and Implementation Plan in Media Borough
ESI directed a team made up of JVM Studio and The Riddle Company to prepare an economic development roadmap for the immediate, short-term, and long-term future of the Borough of Media, Pennsylvania.
Economic Development: The Ultimate Path Forward for Distressed Pennsylvania Communities
This blog post analyzes the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Distressed Municipalities Program, commonly known as Act 47.
Economic Insecurity
Policy choices about benefit, taxation and savings programs impact the ability of vulnerable citizens to meet their needs, as well as labor markets and economic growth. Rigorous analysis can help to define the importance of issues and inform successful policy design.
Analysis of Employment Constraints in New Hampshire
ESI and the National Center for Children in Poverty have been commissioned by the New Hampshire Department of Employment Security to study the impact of employment constraints faced by the state’s households including benefit cliffs, child care, and labor supply as the state seeks accelerate its recovery from the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Fiscal Impacts on Insufficient Retirement Savings in Colorado
ESI was commissioned by the legislatively created Colorado Secure Savings Plan Board to study the economic and fiscal impacts of insufficient retirement savings in Colorado as part of the state’s consideration of efforts to address inadequate retirement preparedness among private sector workers.
The Economic and Fiscal Impact of Medicaid Expansion in Pennsylvania
ESI was engaged as a research partner with the Pennsylvania Economy League, Inc. (PEL) to provide economic research on the Medicaid expansion in Pennsylvania for PA Health Funders Collaborative (PHFC). Our team was responsible for leading the economic impact and fiscal analysis research and calculations.
Tax Policy
Sound tax policy is critical for any jurisdiction to generate growth while providing needed services. Models of direct and indirect impacts from current and potential tax policy provide intelligence into the range of ramifications (both costs and benefits) of tax policy scenarios and programs. These insights help inform fair and equitable tax policy.
Modeling the Impact of Tax Reform in Philadelphia
ESI was asked by the Central Philadelphia Development Corporation (CPDC) to estimate the impacts of the City tax reform proposal put forth by the Philadelphia Growth Coalition on tax revenues, economic growth and employment within the City of Philadelphia over the next decade (FY 2017-2026).
Earned Income Tax in Bensalem Township
In 2013, Bensalem Township in Bucks County, PA decided to explore implementing a one percent earned income tax (EIT) for resident and nonresident workers in the municipality. Bensalem contracted ESI to conduct an analysis of the effects a one-percent EIT would have.
Scenario Planning, Strategic Planning and Facilitation
ESI’s panel of experts combine economic analysis and years of real-world experience to evaluate the impacts of various policies across a broad range of issues facing governments today. From scenario planning to strategic planning to facilitation , ESI’s expertise can help advance a specific policy from the evaluation stage, through the decision making process to the implementation phase. Along the way, ESI provides the critical insight and analysis needed to advance a range of public policy goals and initiatives.
Wilmington Land Bank
The existence of vacancy and blight in the City of Wilmington is a pervasive problem, imposing significant negative implications for the city’s economy, fiscal position, and quality of life. To clarify the city’s strategy to alleviate vacancy, ESI produced a cost-benefit analysis making the financial case for a land bank in Wilmington.
Building Resilience in a Disaster-Prone Island
ESI was engaged by a small, disaster-prone island economy to profile and measure its resilience across various sectors including health, economy, education, arts and culture, and housing. These assessments detailed each sector’s capacity, capability, and structure as it relates to its ability to respond to natural shocks and stressors.
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In addition to our government and public policy practice, several ESI practice areas focus directly on policy issues of public interest, such as economic development, equity and inclusion, and transportation.
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