SOCDS: Crime Notes

Methodology & Definitions

Data Source

The Census collects information on government organization, public employment, and governemt finances, including summary and detailed data on expenditures, revenues, and indebtedness. For precise definitons of the variables presented in these pages, please see the Government Finance and Employment Classification Manual. These web pages present aggregates of government activity for 101 Metropolitan areas and 229 Central Cities from the 1997 Census of Governments and data for 541 Cities from the 1992 and 1997 Censuses. Ancillary data sources were used for aggregation when the 1997 Census of Governments did not have data on the government or its complete fiscal activity. Most of these sources were from the Governments Division of the Census Bureau. A small number of outside sources that are generally used by the Governments Division were also employed.

Fiscal Years

Data in these tables and files pertain to the governments' 12-month fiscal years. The fiscal data collected by the 1997 Census of Governments reflect individual government fiscal years that ended between July 1, 1996 and June 30, 1997. The fiscal data collected by the 1992 Census of Governments reflect individual government fiscal years that ended between July 1, 1991 and June 30, 1992. Per capita figures for FY 1997 are calculated by dividing by the Census July 1, 1996 population estimate and by the July 1, 1991 population estimates for FY 1992.

Metropolitan Aggregates for Fiscal Year 1997

The Metropolitan area and Central City aggregates figures for Fiscal Year 1997 were calculated by aggregating all government activity within the respective geographic boundaries. The governmental units aggregated include a variety of municipal, township, county, and special purpose governments. Aggregation is made difficult because governmental units are not always completely contained within the boundaries of Census geography. Population estimates were most frequently used as weights to allocate government activity,

The 1997 values in the Metropolitan Area tables will be greater than the unadjusted city values that appear in the city-level tables for 1997 because the activity of ALL local governments within the geographic boundary of the central city are aggregated for a central city area total. For example, the municipal government of Akron, OH allocated no money towards elementary and secondary education in 1997, but there are four public school districts within the city limits: Akron with expenditures of $213,407,000; Revere with expenditures of $18,263,000; Woodrige with expenditures of $13,993,000; and Copley-Fairlawn with expenditures of $20,344,000. The total expenditures on elementary and secondary education presented in the Metropolitan Tables for the city of Akron is thus $218,931,000, which is the sum of the expenditures of all four school districts. The allocation of all 1997 governmental activity in Central Cities is presented in the spreadsheet, city allocators.

Additional Manipulation of Census of Government Data

The following notes identify the major exclusions of government activity from the analysis, as well as the reasons for the inclusion of governmental activity that did not appear in the Census Bureau?s Compendium of Government Finances.

1. The Governments Division locates a local government by the address of its business office. The Compendium tries to locate each its governments on a county basis. This is useful on a metropolitan level, but not on a city or outside central city level. At times the address does not represent where an activity takes place. There is an attempt to assign many of these as is possible. Where appropriate 0% of the government activity is allocated to the government of address.

2. There can be a question as to whether an activity is truly that of a local government, even if it appears in the Compendium. The Governments Division assigned non-general state fiscal activities to the local area where its business office is located. Mostly these involved utilities or multi-state activities. While they are included in the Governments Division?s county area totals, they are excluded from this analysis or assigned a zero allocator to both the city and metro area.

3. The most difficult problems to solve involve inter-county activities. As noted in the Compendium on page xv, for special districts the Governments Division provides a list of special districts and their component counties. A problem exists when the business office is outside of any of the ?designated? metropolitan areas. Very important entities were traced and their fiscal activity was allocated to constituent governments. Where available the actual delineation of responsibilities were used to allocate the fiscal activity.

4. A difficulty arises for the cases where two or more definitions refer to the same entity. This can occur when there has been a partial or incomplete consolidation of governments.

5. The timing of annexation information may not conform to the fiscal information. The problem may involve a difference between Governments Division populations and other Census Bureau population estimates. Adjustment to the overlapping governments were made on the basis of independent information from state or local sources.

6. State entities sometimes provide local services. If the service is so universal that it exclusion would make inter-area comparison difficult, the activity has been classified as local. This has been done generally when the Census has classified the activity as local in non-Compendium sources. State-run local schools are a prime example of this behavior.

The accompanying table identifies the actions taken to address the six major problems discussed above. The table classifies the type of problem, the specific action taken, the government activity that was allocated, the way the activity was allocated in the Compendium, and the State where the government existed.

Problem Number Action Taken Government Allocated Compendium Assignment State
1 Multi County allocation St. Johns Water Management District Palm Beach FL
1 Multi County allocation South Florida Water Management District Putnam FL
1 Multi County allocation San Francisco Bay area Tran System Alameda CA
1 Multi County allocation Metro Water District Southern California Los Angeles CA
1 Multi County allocation Northeast Maryland Waste Disposal Authority Baltimore City County MD
2 Excluded Municipal Electric Authority Of GA Fulton County GA
2 Excluded Lower Cold River Authority Travis TX
2 Excluded Niagara Falls Bridge Com Niagara NY
2 Added, not in Compendium City Colleges of Chicago Cook IL
2 Added, not in Compendium Billings Elem School District 4 Yellowstone MT
2 Excluded as a state government entity Michigan Public Power Agency Kent MI
2 Excluded as a state government entity Office of Hawaiian Affairs Honolulu HI
2 Excluded as a state government entity Municipal Gas Authority of MS Hinds MS
2 Excluded as a multi-state government entity New York And NJ Port Authority New York NY
2 Excluded as a state government entity Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska Lancaster NE
2 Excluded as a state government entity Wisconsin Public Power Dane WI
2 Excluded as a state government entity Metropolitan Utilities District Douglas NE
2 Excluded as a state government entity Omaha Public Power District Douglas NE
2 Excluded as a state government entity Delaware River Port Authority Camden NJ
2 Excluded as a state government entity North Carolina Municipal Agency Wake NC
2 Excluded as a state government entity Eastern NC Power Agency Wake NC
2 Excluded as a state government entity Intermountain Power Agency Salt lake UT
2 Excluded as a multi-state government entity Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority Arlington VA
4 Altered to account for the presence of a dependent school district in Memphis. Shelby County School System Shelby TN
5 Altered population to reconcile annexation by the city Vancouver (State Estimate) State WA
5 Altered population to reconcile annexation by the city Concord State NC
5 Altered population to reconcile annexation by the city Fayetteville (Local Estimate) State NC
6 Inserted Newark Public Schools State NJ
6 Inserted Jersey City Public Schools State NJ
6 Inserted Hawaii Department of education State HI
6 Inserted Dallas-Fort Worth Airport Dallas TX

Problem Number	Action Taken	Government Allocated	Compendium Assignment	State
1	Multi County allocation	St. Johns Water Management District	Palm Beach	FL
1	Multi County allocation	South Florida Water Management District	Putnam	FL
1	Multi County allocation	San Francisco Bay area Tran System	Alameda	CA
1	Multi County allocation	Metro Water District Southern California	Los Angeles	CA
1	Multi County allocation	Northeast Maryland Waste Disposal Authority	Baltimore City County	MD
2	Excluded	Municipal Electric Authority Of GA	Fulton County	GA
2	Excluded	Lower Cold River Authority	Travis	TX
2	Excluded	Niagara Falls Bridge Com	Niagara	NY
2	Added, not in Compendium	City Colleges of Chicago	Cook	IL
2	Added, not in Compendium	Billings Elem School District 4	Yellowstone	MT
2	Excluded as a state government entity	Michigan Public Power Agency	Kent	MI
2	Excluded as a state government entity	Office of Hawaiian Affairs	Honolulu	HI
2	Excluded as a state government entity	Municipal Gas Authority of MS	Hinds	MS
2	Excluded as a multi-state government entity	New York And NJ Port Authority	New York	NY
2	Excluded as a state government entity	Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska	Lancaster	NE
2	Excluded as a state government entity	Wisconsin Public Power	Dane	WI
2	Excluded as a state government entity	Metropolitan Utilities District	Douglas	NE
2	Excluded as a state government entity	Omaha Public Power District	Douglas	NE
2	Excluded as a state government entity	Delaware River Port Authority	Camden	NJ
2	Excluded as a state government entity	North Carolina Municipal Agency	Wake	NC
2	Excluded as a state government entity	Eastern NC Power Agency	Wake	NC
2	Excluded as a state government entity	Intermountain Power Agency	Salt lake	UT
2	Excluded as a multi-state government entity	Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority	Arlington	VA
4	Altered to account for the presence of a dependent school district in Memphis.	Shelby County School System	Shelby	TN
5	Altered population to reconcile annexation by the city	Vancouver (State Estimate)	State	WA
5	Altered population to reconcile annexation by the city	Concord	State	NC
5	Altered population to reconcile annexation by the city	Fayetteville (Local Estimate)	State	NC
6	Inserted	Newark Public Schools	State	NJ
6	Inserted	Jersey City Public Schools	State	NJ
6	Inserted	Hawaii Department of education	State	HI
6	Inserted	Dallas-Fort Worth Airport	Dallas	TX

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Send comments or report errors to: Alastair_W._McFarlane@hud.gov