Public Affairs graduate students in the School of Planning & Public Affairs partnered with the City of West Branch, a small but growing rural community, to assess and support local fiscal policy, budgeting practices, and capital improvement planning. 

Authors: Fern Bultema, Yihan Li, Allie Tubbs, Erik Woolsey

Instructors: Travis Kraus, Phuong Nguyen

Community project leads: Heidi Van Auken, Adam Kofoed

College & department: Graduate College, School of Planning & Public Affairs

Course name & number: MPA Capstone, PBAF 6213/6214

Citation instructions

Working collaboratively with local government officials and community stakeholders, students analyzed current budget structures, revenue sources, and expenditure priorities, with particular attention to the challenges and opportunities faced by small towns with limited resources.

The project involved conducting a fiscal health assessment, evaluating the long-term capital improvement needs of the community (including infrastructure, public facilities, departmental staffing, and equipment), and developing recommendations for sustainable budgeting and investment strategies. Students applied skills in public finance, policy analysis, stakeholder engagement, and strategic planning to co-develop a Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). 

Deliverables included a multi-year CIP proposal, updated fiscal policies, policies and procedures for Tax Increment Financining (TIF), and a presentation to local decision-makers. This project provided valuable, hands-on experience in municipal finance and governance while supporting rural resilience and community-informed policymaking.