State of California
Governor's Office of Planning and Research

Sources: An Annotated Bibliography for California Planners

Infrastructure Finance

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A Planner's Guide to Financing Public Improvements (revised 1997); $9.00 from the Governor's Office of Planning and Research, 1400 Tenth St., Sacramento, CA 95814, (916) 322-3170. Available on the Internet at http://ceres.ca.gov/planning/.
          This is an introduction to some of the financing options available to local governments in California. It includes chapters on general taxes, special taxes, school financing, developer fees and exactions, special assessments, and leasing.

Calculating Proportionate-Share Impact Fees, PAS Report No. 408 (1988); by James C. Nicholas; $20.00 from the American Planning Association Planners Book Service, 122 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 1600 Chicago, IL 60603-6107, (312) 786-6344.
          The report shows how to calculate impact fees so that developments pay only their fair share of capital improvement needs. Emphasis is placed on fees for schools, libraries, roads, and law enforcement and on how to adjust fees to avoid legal challenges.

California Debt Issuance Primer (1988); $20.00 from the California Debt and Investment Advisory Commission, P.O. Box 942809, Sacramento, CA 94209-0001, (916) 324-2585.
          This is a comprehensive guide to debt financing in California. It reviews various financing techniques available to local government (such as bonds and certificates of participation), the participants in typical debt issues, and the steps involved in issuing debt.

Development Exactions (1987); James E. Frank and Robert M. Rhodes, (eds.); $34.95 for APA members or $38.95 for non-members from the American Planning Association Planners Book Service, 122 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 1600 Chicago, IL 60603-6107, (312) 786-6344.
          This book takes a look at how exactions work, what's been tried, and how they've fared in the courts. The book includes a large-scale survey on exactions and how they are calculated.

Development Impact Fees (1988); Arthur C. Nelson, (ed.); $30.95 for APA members or $36.95 for non-members from the American Planning Association Planners Book Service, 122 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 1600 Chicago, IL 60603-6107, (312) 786-6344.
          This comprehensive book evaluates the theory, application, and administration of development exactions. It shows how to draft impact fee ordinances, reviews the legal aspects of exactions, discusses the need for a rational nexus, and illustrates how excise taxes can be used as an alternative to impact fees.

Financing Infrastructure: Innovations at the Local Level; by Richard R. Mudge and Susan Jakubiak for the National League of Cities; $15.00 from the National League of Cities, 1301 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Washington D.C. 20004, (202) 626-3000.
          This is a review of 26 case studies of how local governments pay the cost of public works. It describes four techniques -- special assessment districts, exactions, independent utilities, and shared ownership between public and private sectors.

Guide to Public Debt Financing in California (1987); by Virginia L. Horler; $27.95, plus tax and handling, from Packard Press Pacific, 221 Main St., Suite 100, San Francisco, CA 94105, (415) 974-1100.
          This book discusses and compares a broad variety of financing alternatives, including general obligation bonds, special assessments, certificates of participation, leasing, and revenue bonds.

Mello-Roos Community Facilities Act of 1982 (1994); free from Bowie, Arneson, Kadi and Dixon, 4920 Campus Drive, Newport Beach, CA 92660, (714) 851-1300.
          This booklet contains a summary and the text of the Mello-Roos Act as amended through January 1, 1994.

Paying for Growth: Using Development Fees to Finance Infrastructure; by Thomas P. Snyder and Michael A. Stegman; $32.50 for ULI members or $42.00 for non-members from the Urban Land Institute, 1090 Vermont Ave. N.W., Suite 300, Washington, D.C. 20005, (202) 289-8500.
          This book is a detailed examination of the potential economic impacts of development fees and the proper procedures for their calculation and enactment.

Public Needs and Private Dollars (1995), by William Abbot, et al.; $38 plus sales tax and shipping from Solano Press, P.O. Box 773, Point Arena, CA 95468, (707) 884-4508.
          This detailed discussion of exactions practice in California compares the characteristics of fees, assessments, taxes, and dedications. It also discusses nexus requirements, Constitutional considerations, and AB 1600.