Fiscal Stress in Local Government: A Case Study of the Tri-Cities in the Commonwealth of Virginia

Ability to raise sufficient revenue to satisfy expenditure needs is the most important concern in local government financing. Local governments under fiscal stress often need to dig deep into their tax base to generate enough financing because of inflexible revenue resources. This paper examines the factors that determine the level of tax effort, particularly the influences of fiscal stress on the tax effort of three adjacent small cities in Virginia. An ordinary least squared model was formulated for this purpose. Our findings indicate that, together with fiscal stress, retail sales, state aid, the joint effect of unemployment and welfare expenditures are important factors in predicting the tax effort. The difference in response among the cities in question is also established as a result of the analysis.