Story posted Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Students To Research Ways City Can Boost Revenue
By BOBBY CHILVER Journal & Topics Reporter
For years now, Prospect Hts. has been trying to find ways to boost revenues while dealing with the limitations of being a non-home rule community.
So far there hasn't been an easy answer. Officials have tried everything from raising small city fees to massive election referendums but financial problems remain.
Now, University of Chicago graduate students are taking their shot at solving Prospect Hts.' problem.
Three grad students will research how non-home rule communities can raise revenues as part of their assigned research project.
They'll dive deep into the numbers, the local laws and background of similar communities. They're putting the hours in that Prospect Hts. officials simply don't have the time to.
City Administrator Pam Arrigoni first heard about the opportunity through the City Manager's Association.
"We thought we could make the best use of these grad students and have them research for us," she said.
Finance Director Barb Barrera helped put together two proposals. One was the home-rule research project and the other was to poll local residents as to what city services they would be willing to pay for.
Arrigoni said the UIC professor overseeing the project received about 50 applications like Prospect Hts.' Twelve, including the home-rule research idea, were chosen as finalists.
The six groups of students then were able to choose which project they wanted to embark upon.
One group of three grad students, including two finance majors, chose the Prospect Hts. proposal.
Now they'll begin trying to solve a problem Prospect Hts. has long struggled with.
A draft of their ideas is due to the school by early April and Arrigoni said the research will be forwarded over to the city once completed.
"We're very excited," she said.
If the students can find a way to boost city revenue and therefore increase city services, so might the residents.
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