Census of Governments and Related Programs Governments Division Economic Programs Directorate U.S. Census Bureau Presented at McCormick SRI: Going Deep with Census Bureau Demographic and Economic Data June 18, 2011 Disclaimer: This report is released to inform interested parties of research and to encourage discussion of work in progress. The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of the U.S. Census Bureau. 00:00

Census of Governments Programs Provide the Only Source for Comprehensive Uniform Statistics on the Economic Activity of State and Local Governments State and Local Governments are Unique No Other Direct Comparison is Possible Tell the Story of the Fiscal Condition of State and Local Government Called the “Gold Standard” of Government Statistics Data Primary Inputs Into Gross Domestic Product and Flow of Funds 2 00:38

Census of Governments Programs One of the Oldest Programs at the Census Bureau Origins Date to 1840 Decennial Census Annual Surveys Began in 1902 as Part of the New “Census Office” State Government Finance Conducted Continuously Since 1915 Follow the Activity of Governments Over Time Provide the Public Counterpart to Business, Industry, and Services Economic Data 3 4:47

What is a Government? Census Bureau Definition Existence as an Organized Entity Right of Perpetual Succession Right to Make Contracts Right to Sue and be Sued Governmental Character Public Accountability Power to Tax Substantial Autonomy Fiscal Independence Administrative Independence 4 6:53

89,526 Government Organizations 89,476 Local Governments 39,044 General Purpose Governments 3,033 Counties 19,492 Cities 16,519 Townships 50,432 Special Purpose Governments 37,381 Special Districts 13,051 Independent School Districts 50 State Governments Types of Governments Measured and Defined Unit Based not Establishment Based Source: 2007 Census of Governments 5 8:56

Diversity of Governments Illinois had the Most Governments (6,994) and Hawaii the Fewest (19) Cook County, Illinois, had More Governments Than any Other County (539) Texas led the Nation with 254 County Governments, Connecticut and Rhode Island Have no County Governments County Does Not Equal County Area 6 Source: 2007 Census of Governments 11:18

The Many Layers of American Government 7 Source: 2007 Census of Governments 12:48

Periodicity of Data Products Quinquennial – Every 5 Years Census of Governments – Years Ending in ‘2’ and ‘7’ (Government Organization, Employment, Finance) Annual Federal, State, and Local Employment State and Local Government Finance Includes Individual Products on Taxes, Public Pensions, and School Finances Quarterly State and Local Government Tax Revenues Revenues, Benefits, and Financial Holdings of Public- Employment Retirement Systems 8 13:05

Census of Governments: Three Main Components Government Organization Number of and Type Characteristics of Local Governments by State and Type Government Employment Number of Employees Part-Time and Full-Time One Month Payroll Government Finance 9 Revenues Expenditures Indebtedness Cash and Securities Taxes Pensions 13:42

Government Organization 10 14:14

Organization: Data Collection Reference Period: Status as of October 11, 2011 Survey of Local Governments in the United States Identification of Government Basic Functions/Activities of Each Government Collection of Information from State Auditors and Comptrollers Legal Research Core Government Executive, Legislative, and Judicial Dependent Agencies – Component Units Jointly Governed Activities 11 14:15

Organization: Content and Products Counts of Local Governments By State-Area By Type of Government First Release in August 2012 Individual State Description Information on Local Government Powers and Organization By State-Area Released in Summer :31

13 Government Employment 16:10

Public Employment: Data Collection Reference Period: Pay-Period Including March 12 Standard Weekly Hours Worked for Full-Time Pay-Period Intervals for Full-Time and Part-Time Full-Time and Part-Time Employees and Payroll by Functional Activity (25 Categories – Police Protection, Education, Fire Protection, etc.) 14 16:13

Public Employment: Data Collection State Governments – Central (Single Point) Collection Electronic Reporting in 45 States Mail Canvass in 5 States Local Governments School Data Provided Centrally in FL, NC, ND, WA Electronic Administrative Records Provided by 13 Large Local Governments (e.g., NYC) Rest Collected by Mail Canvass Internet Reporting Option for all Forms 15 17:40

Public Employment: Content and Products Census of Governments National Aggregates for Employees and Payroll by Function State-Area Aggregates State-by-Type of Government 2012 Data Released Fall 2013 Annual Survey of Public Employment and Payroll National Aggregates for Employees and Payroll by Function State-Area Aggregates 2010 Data Released in August :29

17 Government Finance 19:15

Government Finance: Data Collection Reference Period: Fiscal Years Ending Between July 1, and June 30 Measures Revenues by Type Expenditures by Character, Object, and Function Indebtedness by Term Cash and Security Holdings by Purpose Taxes Pensions Does Not Measure Programs Funds 18 19:16

Compilation from Administrative Records 50 State Governments Largest County and City Governments Combination of Central Accounting System Records and Financial Reports from Multiple Component Units Data for Nearly 15,000 School Districts from State Government Data Coordinators Government Finance: Data Collection 19 22:26

Government Finance: Data Collection Direct Collection Mail Canvass to all Local Governments and Retirement Systems Internet Reporting Option for all Forms Joint Census Bureau-State Government Data Collection (Central Collection) Electronic Administrative Record Files from 12 States Joint Census Bureau/State Collection Instruments State Form as Collection Instrument Internet Collection Tool 20 23:24

Government Finance: Content and Products 21 Census of Governments National Aggregates for Revenues, Expenditures, Indebtedness, and Cash and Securities, Taxes, and Pensions, Education State-Area Aggregates, Taxes, Pensions State-by-Type of Government Annual Surveys of State and Local Government Finances National Aggregates for Revenues, Expenditures, Indebtedness, and Cash and Securities, Taxes, Pensions, Education State-Area Aggregates 24:45

Government Finance: Content and Products 22 Census of Governments and Annual Survey Data: Multiple Products State Government Tax Collections – FY 2010 Data Released in March 2011 State Government Finance – FY 2009 Data Released January 2011 State and Local Government Public-Employee Retirement Systems – FY 2009 Data Released April 2011 Finances of Independent School Districts – 2009 Released May 2011 Local Government Finances – FY 2008 Data Released June :28

Government Finance: Content and Products 23 Public-Employee Retirement Systems Included in State and Local Finance Provides Additional Details on Financial Asset Holdings by Type Available for Census of Governments, Annual, and Quarterly (for Selected Systems) State and Local Government Tax Revenues 25 Tax Categories State Government Tax Revenues – Annual and Quarterly State and Local Tax Revenues – Available Quarterly 26:25

Government Finance: Content and Products Public Education Finances Tax Revenues Capital Outlay Indebtedness Per-Pupil Spending State and Local Finance Type of Revenues Functional Expenditures Each Data Product is Included in the Total State and Local Finances – Final Product to be Released 24 28:05

Government Finance: Content and Products – Quarterly Quarterly Summary of State and Local Government Tax Revenues Released Within About 3 Months Following the Reference Period – 1 st Quarter 2011 Released Late June 2011 National Estimates for Property, Sales, Income Taxes State Government Taxes for all 25 Tax Categories Finances of Selected Public-Employee Retirement Systems Released Within About 3 Months Following the Reference Period – 1 st Quarter 2011 Released Late June 2011 Financial Holdings of 100 Largest Public Pension Systems 25 28:49

Data Products 26 29:40

27 Governments Data 31:05

Demo getting government data 28 31:12

Census of Governments ComponentTentative Release Date 2009 Education FinanceMay st Quarter 2011 – Taxes and RetirementJune Public Employment and PayrollAugust nd Quarter 2011 – Taxes and RetirementSeptember State and Local Government FinanceOctober State Government FinanceDecember rd Quarter 2011 – Taxes and RetirementDecember State Government Retirement SystemsJanuary State Government Tax CollectionsMarch th Quarter 2011 – Taxes and RetirementMarch Data Releases Over the Next 12 Months 33:23

30 What Story Do These Data Tell? Recent News on Governments 33:43

Christopher Pece Senior Technical Advisor Governments Division Thank You 37:00