Foundations of Municipal Fiscal Health

A well-functioning property tax is the foundation of municipal fiscal health for rapidly growing cities worldwide – a pillar in the implementation of the New Urban Agenda. The property tax is a stable source of own-source revenue for cities that promotes greater self-sufficiency in the delivery of basic services, augmented by intergovernmental transfers. The discussion in this event, based on our work co-authoring, with the World Bank, the Habitat III Policy Paper Framework – Municipal Finance and Local Fiscal Systems, will cover challenges and opportunities in establishing and maintaining property tax systems in the U.S., Latin America, Eastern Europe, Africa, and China, and will align with the launch of these publications: A Good Tax: Legal and Policy Issues for the Property Tax in the United States; Making Land Legible: Cadastres for Urban Planning and Development in Latin America; and Property Tax in Latin America; and Los sistemas de tributación inmobiliaria en América Latina y el Caribe.  The objectives of this event include promoting a dialogue about the property tax as foundation of municipal fiscal health; learning about efforts to develop efficient property tax systems in developing world cities, in Latin America, and in China; and sharing e-resources and research on sustainable fiscal practices, practical applications, and capacity building.