December 2024 - Ehlers, Inc.

Happy Holidays From Ehlers!

We wish you and yours a joyful holiday season filled with peace, laughter, and everything else that makes this time of year special. And here’s to a promising new year; we can’t wait to continue sharing in your collective mission of building strong and vibrant communities!

If At First You Don’t Succeed, Try…Try Again!

The November 2023 election provided mixed results for Minnesota school districts requesting operating referendums, capital project levies, and bond referendums. These elections came on the heels of two years of record inflation, additional funding and new mandates from the legislature, and the pending expiration of federal stimulus funds. We spoke with officials at two districts that saw their referendums fail in 2023, but quickly regrouped, re-engaged with their communities, and ultimately achieved success amid a very noisy November 2024 election season.

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Growth Pays For Growth

Many residents and policymakers in growing communities are concerned about the cost of infrastructure to serve new growth such as streets, utility extensions, and parks. A common philosophy in this realm of public finance is that “growth should pay for growth.” Impact or development fees are one way state statutes allow municipalities to help offset the costs of some new public facilities necessitated by growth.

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How Much is Enough?

Communities across Minnesota and Wisconsin receive financial assistance requests from developers to construct several different types of projects. As local leaders and public employees, it’s paramount to respond to these requests in a prudent yet fiscally responsive manner…all while balancing the needs of your community and protecting local resources.

Read on.

Best Bank for the Buck!

Governmental entities are responsible for a significant amount of public funds, making the selection and evaluation of banking relationships a critical aspect of sound financial operations. The choice of a banking partner impacts not only the safety and accessibility of governmental dollars, but also the operational efficiency and overall fiscal responsibility.

Read on.

2024 Market Commentary

As 2024 comes to an end, we’d like to take a moment to reflect on how certain economic and geopolitical events shaped the capital markets over the past year. Several key events took place over the past 12 months, including the Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) lowering their benchmark federal funds rate for the first time since the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic and a federal election that will shift the makeup in Washington D.C. for the coming year, at least, if not the next two.

Read on.

Have questions or need more info?

Call 800-222-4545 or e-mail info@ehlers.com.

About Ehlers

A pioneer and regional leader in municipal advisory services since 1955, Ehlers helps clients build strong, vibrant and sustainable communities by delivering independent, integrated advice across all areas of public finance. We work with more than 1,500 local governments, schools, and public agencies across five states; placing our clients’ needs and best interests at the center of everything we do.