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Vermont Economy Newsletter
Economic Research and Policy Analysis
Litigation Support and Expert Testimony
2008 Annual Economic Outlook Conference
(January 11th, 2008)
Who We Are
Contact Us
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Economic
Research and Policy Analysis
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Northern
Economic Consulting, Inc. has been providing economic research and policy
analysis to clients in the northeast since 1985. We specialize in providing
information on a regional, state level, or local level basis as needed.
Some of our
recent research is briefly explaned below.
We would be
happy to discuss with you any economic analysis you may need. Simply call
or write us at the address at the bottom of the page.
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Recent Research Projects
· Measuring the long term
impacts of sales tax differentials on Connecticut River valley towns.
· Investigating the
feasibility of alternative funding mechanisms for a proposed long term
health care program in the state of Vermont.
· Estimating the impact
of a large retail development on a regional economy for Act 250.
· Measuring the impact of
an electric utility rate increase on low income residents.
· Forecasting tax
receipts for state and local governments.
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Selected
Project Descriptions
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Evaluation of School Financing
in Vermont
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The
Vermont Coalition of Municipalities asked Northern Economic Consulting to
evaluate the success of Act 60 in attaining its goals. We found that Act 60
has not reduced property taxes nor significantly reduced differences in school
spending.
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Benchmarking
Vermont
Government
Spending
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The
optimal level of government spending for education, public welfare, and
other services is always a question of interest to public policy makers.
This study compares Vermont government spending to that of the other 49
states, controlling for differing economic and demographic variables.
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Vermont's Economic
Competitiveness:
A Comparative
Analysis
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Vermonters'
incomes are below the average for New England and have been falling further
behind in recent years. In order to raise Vermont's income closer to that
of our neighbors, Vermont must improve its economic competitiveness. This
report examines Vermont's competitive advantages and disadvantages as a
first step in that process. The report was prepared for the Vermont Ski
Areas Association and the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce.
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Impact of the Vermont
Sales Tax
on the New
Hampshire Border Towns
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This
study, commissioned by a group of Vermont businesses, examined the impact
of Vermont's sales tax on the retail economies of Vermont and New Hampshire
along the Connecticut River, where the states share a common border. In
1968, neither Vermont nor New Hampshire had a retail sales tax and per
capita sales in the border counties were identical. In 1969, Vermont
instituted a 3 percent sales tax, which rose to 4 percent in 1982 and 5
percent in 1997. By 1997, per capita retail sales in the New Hampshire
border counties were 60 percent higher than on the Vermont side of the
river.
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Housing Affordability
in Vermont
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The
Vermont Business Roundtable commissioned NEC to provide an analysis of housing
prices and affordability in Vermont. Our study details the cost of housing
in each county in the state and looks at the number and price of houses
available to lower income Vermont families in 1999. Also included is a
detailed examination of prices for each town in Chittenden and Rutland
Counties.
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