Sunday, October 4, 2009

Update to State and Local Data: FY 2007

On October 4, 2009, usgovernmentspending.com updated its database with the latest data release on State and Local Government Spending and Revenue from the US Census Bureau. The latest data is for fiscal year 2007. Previously the data displayed for 2007 was "guesstimated" based on a crude projection of spending and revenue levels from 2006.
This includes data for individual states and data and aggregate spending and revenue data for all states.
Here is the current status of state and local government spending and revenue data.
  • Data up to and including 2007 is actual data reported to and published by the Census Bureau.
  • State tax data for 2008 is actual data reported to and published by the Census Bureau in State Government Tax Collections.
  • Data for 2008 (except state tax data for 2008) and subsequent years is "guesstimated" by projecting the change in each spending or revenue item between 2006 and 2007 forward. Maximum change is 15 percent. Minimum change is zero percent.
Caveat on "Guesstimated" Data
The crude "guesstimation" that usgovernmentspending.com applies to data after 2007 (the last year for which the US Census Bureau provides data) is a way to get a rough look at total government spending in the present year and the near future.
But in the current recession state and local spending is probably higher than "guesstimated" and revenue is probably significantly lower than "guesstimated."
The US Census Bureau report of State Government Tax Collections for 2009, scheduled for release in March 2010, will be the first look at the effect of the recession on state government revenues.
Upcoming Data Updates
The Census Bureau will update State and Local Government Finances (i.e. spending and revenue data) for 2005, 2006, and 2007 in November 2009.
The Census Bureau will release State Government Finances for 2008 (i.e. spending and revenue) in late Fall 2009.
The Census Bureau will release State Government Tax Collections for 2009 in March 2010.
The Census Bureau will release State and Local Government Finances for 2008 (i.e. spending and revenue) in Summer 2010.