Fiscal Impact Analysis

Fiscal impact analysis is a critical tool for communities of all sizes. A well-prepared FIA can help a community understand the pros and cons of a proposed development and enable well-informed decision making. But too many communities either do not undertake FIAs or lack the expertise to do so most effectively. This PAS Report, written by the leading national practitioner of fiscal impact analyses, gives planners a complete understanding of why fiscal impact analyses are so important and how they can better design and execute them in their communities. The common methodologies are explained, critiqued, and put under a microscope, so that planners can see the impact of each component on the resulting analysis. Written in clear prose accompanied by a substantial number of explanatory tables, this report will become an indispensable resource on any planner's bookshelf.

L. Carson Bise II, AICP, is president of TischlerBise in Bethesda, Md.