Waste in the Sewer: The Collapse of Accountability and Transparency in Public Finance in Jefferson County, Alabama
Abstract
Following failed auctions for sewer debt in April 2008, major bond rating companies downgraded Jefferson County, Alabama's bond rating to D (default) triggering massive mandatory payments by the county to its creditors. At the time of writing, the county teeters on the brink of actual default and bankruptcy, unable to pay service on its $3.3 billion sewer debt portfolio. If the county defaults, it will be the largest municipal bankruptcy in United States history, eclipsing Orange County, California's 1994 default. The intriguingly complex tale of the Jefferson County debt crisis is recounted here by identifying and examining failures of transparency and accountability by local bureaucratic and political actors, private financial institutions, as well as the larger regulatory framework governing public finance. Enhanced regulation of local government and the financial sector plus greater local government capacity to close accountability gaps and thus prevent future crises of similar scale in this or other jurisdictions are recommended. © 2011 The American Society for Public Administration.
Publication Title
Public Administration Review
Recommended Citation
Howell-Moroney, M., & Hall, J. (2011). Waste in the Sewer: The Collapse of Accountability and Transparency in Public Finance in Jefferson County, Alabama. Public Administration Review, 71 (2), 232-242. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6210.2011.02334.x
