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Biswa Das

Author: Alison Weidemann | Image: Alison Weidemann

Recently as part of the Iowa Government Finance Initiative (IGFI) program through ISU Extension and Outreach, the Annual Fiscal Conditions reports for 2016 for each of the 945 cities and 99 counties in Iowa were published. The customized reports are designed to assist local elected and appointed officials, economic development organizations and other stakeholder groups in improving understanding of their jurisdictions’ financial conditions. In addition, the free reports allow for peer comparison to assess the level of efficiency in delivering different types of government services. The reports are used by local governments for various purposes including budgeting, grant writing and financial assessment.

Biswa Das, an Iowa State University assistant professor of community and regional planning and community development extension specialist, is the lead investigator of the IGFI program. In addition to providing the reports, the program’s outreach efforts include conducting training and workshops and providing specialized technical services on a fee-for-service basis.