The Strong Towns Podcast

ZacTax is a financial analysis firm that helps city officials understand their revenue streams and make smarter financial choices. Today, Chuck is joined by its founders, Chad Janicek and Patrick Lawler. They explain how they work effectively with local governments and how their work is helping drive a cultural shift toward stronger and more productive cities.

ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

• Learn more about ZacTax:

  • Website

  • LinkedIn

• Connect with Chad and Patrick:

  • Email: chad@zactax.com || patrick@zactax.com

  • LinkedIn: Patrick Lawler

• Learn more about the Strong Towns approach to finance.

• Chuck Marohn (Substack)

Chuck reflects on the current state of the world. He explains that, when you recognize things are broken, you have two options. You can wait helplessly for someone else to fix them, or you can start rebuilding the systems closest to you.

ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

• It's Member Week! Join the movement that's building stronger towns across North America.
  
  
• Join us for a four-hour livestream tour of North America on Wednesday, April 30, from 1-5 p.m. CDT. Chat with Chuck and meet some of the Strong Towns members actively making their communities stronger.

In this episode of the Strong Towns Podcast, Chuck is joined by Carlee Alm-LaBar and Kevin Blanchard, former city staff members in Lafayette, Louisiana. Carlee is now Strong Towns’ chief of staff, while Kevin is CEO of the nonprofit Downtown Lafayette, which promotes infrastructure development and business revitalization.

Carlee and Kevin discuss the challenges of balancing competing demands and priorities when working in local government, particularly when trying to make smarter financial decisions. They also share recommendations for how local governments and residents can work together constructively.

ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

• Download the Strong Towns Finance Decoder to get to the bottom of your city’s finances.

• Kevin Blanchard (LinkedIn)

• Chuck Marohn (Substack)

In this episode, Chuck explains why our current situation, though tense, actually presents a great opportunity for advocates of street safety, walkability, and bikeability. He then lays out a number of common misconceptions and errors that advocates will have to avoid if they want to take advantage of this opportunity.

ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

• Chuck Marohn (Substack)

In this episode of the Strong Towns Podcast, Chuck discusses how the design of an environment affects people psychologically. He explores how cities can use that knowledge to make streets safer, using a crash in Hyattsville, Maryland, as an example.

ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

• Get the full crash report from Hyattsville, Maryland.
• Learn more about the Crash Analysis model.

• Chuck Marohn (Substack)

In this episode of the Strong Towns Podcast, Chuck is joined by Mark Moses, author of “The Municipal Financial Crisis: A Framework for Understanding and Fixing Government Budgeting.” Up for discussion today:

• The dangers of relying on “balanced budgets."

• The difference between city and business finances.

• The issues with privatization and regionalization.

• And more!

ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

• Download the Strong Towns Finance Decoder to uncover the truth about your city’s finances.

• Connect with Mark Moses:

  • X/Twitter

  • Website

• Chuck Marohn (Substack)

In this episode of the Strong Towns Podcast, Chuck shares a keynote speech he gave at a statewide transportation conference in Kansas. He discusses the limitations of traditional traffic safety techniques and the consequences of designing high-speed roads through cities and towns, both in terms of safety and finance.

ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

• Chuck Marohn (Substack)

Rick Cole is the chief deputy controller of Los Angeles and a councilmember in Pasadena, California. He’s known for tackling challenging city budgets and has been honored for his work as a public official several times, including with a Excellence in Management Award.

Cole joins Chuck Marohn on this episode of the Strong Towns Podcast to discuss city finances and how they can be improved. Their conversation includes the following topics:

• What does it mean for budgets to be value statements?

• How do you direct city finances in a truly effective way?

• What role should the public play in a city’s financial decisions, and how can city staff and officials enable their productive participation?

• And more!

ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

• Learn more about the Strong Towns approach to finance.

• Rick Cole (LinkedIn)

• Chuck Marohn (Substack)

This week, Chuck is joined by Shayne Kavanagh, senior manager of research for the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA). The GFOA provides training and resources to city finance officers. In his role, Kavanagh develops new approaches to budgeting, financial reporting and revenue that can better address the problems local governments are trying to solve.

Chuck and Kavanagh discuss the role of finance officers as “decision architects.” Kavanagh gives a closer look at the world of local government finance and shares some tactics that finance officers can use to improve their processes.

ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

• Connect with Shayne Kavanagh:

  • GFOA site

  • LinkedIn

• Chuck Marohn (Substack)

What cities have successfully financed housing at the local level? How does tax increment financing work? When should cities stop subsidizing large-scale housing projects? Strong Towns President Chuck Marohn answers all these questions and more in this episode of the Strong Towns Podcast.

ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

• There are six code reforms your city officials can implement today to welcome more housing to your community. Learn more here.

• Do you want 1-on-1 coaching with Chuck on how to bring more housing to your community? Sign up for the Accelerator coaching program before spots run out!

• Chuck Marohn (Substack)