by Stephen Lapp | Jul 15, 2020 | Financial Management, Rates
At the Environmental Finance Center at UNC-Chapel Hill, we are always communicating that how you pay for it matters, but could how often you pay for it matter as well? We delve into the impacts of billing frequency on the utility. It may seem counter-intuitive to...
by Allison Perch | Jun 29, 2020 | Financial Management
Three months after the COVID-19 pandemic suddenly changed how Americans live and work, the financial implications for water systems are becoming apparent. Back in March, we forecasted some of these effects, but we couldn’t measure those changes at that time. As time...
by UNCEFC | May 20, 2020 | Affordability, Financial Management
Right now, water utilities are facing great uncertainty about the coming months and years. When will moratoria on water shut-offs end? When will water consumption be back to “normal”? Will utility staff get COVID-19? And the “Big One” — What will revenue loss be...
by Austin Thompson | May 6, 2020 | Board/Elected Official Engagement, Financial Management
Municipal Bonds & COVID-19: What is going on? Prior to the outbreak of COVID-19 in the US, the municipal (“muni”) bond market was strong. Investors looking for a non-taxable rate of return were hungry for municipal bonds, driving interest rates down for borrowers...
by Erin Riggs | Apr 29, 2020 | Additional Support Organizations, Partnerships
In the past few years, the EFC has been asked to evaluate the different financial impacts of regionalization, from simple shared services agreements to full-on consolidation. Additionally, we have been evaluating barriers to and opportunities for the creation of new...