*Join us in person at our upcoming MACH annual meeting to hear the latest updates on MACH news and research.*
Research Updates: Since the last news update, this focus area, representing three sub-projects, has made progress, including the development of an online fiscal impact calculator/simulator. Brief sub-project level updates are provided below:
- Municipal Coping With Financial Impacts: This sub-project analyzed the qualitative data gathered in the summer of 2024 and distilled the main findings for submission. Research staff analyzed interview transcripts with municipal staff on experiences with fiscal impacts from hazards through several rounds of analysis: first, through pre-defined coding scheme based on frameworks from the theoretical literature, and second, by identifying emergent codes cross-checking interpretations across analysts. In January 2025, the group began drafting a paper documenting findings.
- Fiscal Impacts of Hazard Events Simulation Tool: This sub-project completed the development of a Local Fiscal Impact Calculator for New Jersey municipalities. The architecture can be expanded to other U.S. states with additional work. The tool was tested on the following cases: Brooklawn (Camden County), Manville (Somerset County). The group presented these results at the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning annual conference.
- Intergovernmental Fiscal Flows Simulation Model: This sub-project conceptualized research questions, strategies to answer them, and the focal data and methods. Identified and collected key datasets, including New Jersey Sandy Transparency Data, Census of Governments datasets, and the Annual Survey of School System Finances data.
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New online tool: You can test the Local Fiscal Impact Calculator for New Jersey municipalities here!
Questions? Reach out to coastalhubinfo@gmail.com