Public Money Pod

How States Navigate Federal Disaster Funding, with Colin Foard

20 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

This week we discuss the changing landscape of federal funding for disasters available to states with Colin Foard Project Director for Managing Fiscal...

Building Fisal Responsibility in Federal Budgeting with Steve Redburn , Philip G. Joyce and Roy Meyers

13 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we discuss instilling fiscal responsibility in federal budgeting practices to ensure the national debt remains at sustainable levels. ...

Perspectives on City of LA's digital insfrastructure with Ted Ross

06 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

This week we talk to Ted Ross, Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the City of Los Angeles about it's approach to digital infrastructure, particularly...

Demand fluctuations in the Power Grids with Tom Falcone

30 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

This week we talk about a very pertinent topic, how does the proliferation of da...

Digital Assets in the with Les Borsai & James Key-Wallace

23 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this week's episode we discuss bitcoin backed municipal debt issuance in New Hampshire with Les Borsai & James Key-Wallace. There has been a wa...

Building Highways with Erick Guerra

16 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome back to the Public Money Pod, the first episode for 2026. In this episode we interview Professor Erick Guerra from the University of Pennsylva...

Property Tax Apprisals with Mike Twitty

25 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In the episode before thanksgiving we interview Mike Twitty, Pinellas County Property Appraiser. We talk about the different technological tools that ...

Being an IG in the current climate with Mark Greenblatt

17 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In episode 11 we continue with the IG series with the former inspector general of the Department of Interior and the Chair of the Counsel of the Inspe...

The state of state procurement with Solomon Kingston

10 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we discuss public procurement system current and how AI affects these essential public services with Solomon Kingston. Solomon is the ...

Government accountability with Inspector General Deborah Witzburg

03 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In the ninth episode of the Public Money Pod, we talk to the Inspector General for the City of Chicago, Deborah Witzburg about keeping public agencies...

Implications of the Arizona school vouchers with Ricky Hernandez

21 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Ricky Hernandez is the Chief Financial Officer for the Tucson Unified School District and In this episode we look at ESSER funding as well as ESAs or ...

Property Taxes with Christopher Berry

13 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In our latest episode we discuss property taxes with Professor Christopher Berry from Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago. The...

FAIR Plans with Jordan Haedtler

06 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week Jordan Haedtler discusses FIAR plans as an insurance tool against events caused by the climate crisis. We examine how FAIR plans are used in...

Role of AI in Muni Bonds with Tom Kozlik

29 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In episode 5 of PMP we interview Tom Kozlik, Head of Public Policy and Municipal Strategy at Hilltop Securities where we discuss the results of the P...

Municipal Market Trends with Andrew Kim

22 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In episode 4 our guest is Andrew Kim who is a Director at PTMA Financial. We discuss financing state and local debt through bond issuance, delve deepe...

Rethinking budgeting - budgeting and planning using the "Readiness Assessment"

15 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In episode 3 of Public Money Pod, we interview Mark McAvoy, city administrator of Liberty Lake, Washington. A young city but old problems persist. In ...

Cyber Risk in State and Local goverments with David Erdman

08 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In our second episode of season 4, we're in DC for the at the GFOA conference. We discuss topics in cyber risk in state and local governments and effe...

Rethinking Budgeting - Getting Everyone on the Bus for Budget Reform

03 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In our season 4 premier, we're in DC for the at the GFOA conference. In this episode we discuss challenges and opportunities around performance budget...

Economic Mobility in the Bay State, with Massachusetts Treasurer Deborah Goldberg

23 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In our Season 3 finale, we're speaking with Massachusetts Treasurer Deborah Goldberg. We asked Treasurer Goldberg about some of her state's programs t...

Insurance Markets, Housing Policy, and the Role of Climate Risk, with Ben Keys

09 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we're joined by Ben Keys, Professor of Real Estate and Finance at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania (and for...

Navigating Muni Market Volatility, with Jennifer Johnston

26 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we welcome back Jennifer Johnston, Senior Vice President and Director of Municipal Bond Research at Franklin Templeton. We wanted to get a ...

Tariffs and Their Impact on Municipal Finance, with David Dubrow

19 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we're joined by David Dubrow, Partner at ArentFox Schiff. With the uncertainty surrounding tariffs in recent weeks, how should issuers prep...

Translating Financial Empowerment to City Fiscal Health, with Angela Rollins

28 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we're speaking with Angela Rollins, Director of Financial Empowerment for the City of Rochester, NY. As someone who is working at the inter...

(Mis)Understanding Climate Risk and Financial Risk, with Spencer Glendon

21 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Climate change is a reality of our world, but are we thinking effectively about addressing our challenges? To find out, we sat down with Spencer Glend...

Climate Risk Assessment in the Muni Market, with Larry Lawrence and Phoebe Devries

14 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When severe weather moves in, having accurate, real-time data is crucial. This extends to the muni market, where up-to-date analytics can help localit...

Building Resilience in Local Government, with David Schmiedicke and William Jones

07 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this week's episode, we're live at the ICMA conference in Milwaukee, Wis., where we spoke to David Schmiedicke, Finance Director for the City of Ma...

Sewer Memes (Really!) and Communicating Effectively about Public Utilities, with John Gonzalez

31 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What do James Earl Jones and free verse poetry have to do with a sewer district in Ohio? Sewage and stormwater fans might know we're talking about the...

The Local Power of Education Finance, with Marguerite Roza

17 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this week's episode, we're talking to Dr. Marguerite Roza, Professor and Director of the Edunomics Lab at Georgetown University's McCourt School of...

Keeping Public Servants in Public Service, with Caitlin Lewis

10 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we spoke with Caitlin Lewis, Executive Director of Work for America. Amid large-scale reductions in the federal workforce, we asked about w...

Government Efficiency at the State and Local Level, with Eric Schnurer

17 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Government efficiency is a trendy topic these days, but Eric Schnurer, president of Public Works LLC, has dedicated his career to it. We wanted to spe...

The Playbook for Thriving Transit, with Kevin Willens

10 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It's no secret that the pandemic changed our commuting patterns and how we use transit. How have transit systems found success in re-gaining ridership...

Emergency Episode: Making Sense of the Federal Funding Freeze

31 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On the heels of a dizzying week in which the White House ordered—then rescinded—a freeze on federal funds, we wanted to discuss what this all coul...

The Role of Place in Building Community, with Bill Fulton (100th episode!)

20 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We kick off our 100th episode with some Public Money Pod trivia! Then, we speak to Bill Fulton, Founder of the William Fulton Group. With an extensive...

Strengthening Local Government Finance, with Joshua Franzel

13 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we welcome back to the pod Joshua Franzel, Senior Executive and Director of Research & Data Analysis at the National League of Cities (...

Building Community Wealth in Mid-Sized Cities, with Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam

06 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We're joined this week by Hartford, Connecticut Mayor Arunan Arulampalam. We spoke with Mayor Arulampalam about the challenges Hartford faces as a mid...

Bonus Episode: From the Season 3 Cutting Room Floor

02 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Happy New Year, Public Money Pod listeners! We've got a special bonus episode to kick off 2025, where we're sharing never-before-aired clips from some...

Sales Tax Policy at the State and Local Level, with Whitney Afonso

30 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this week's episode, we speak to Dr. Whitney Afonso, Professor of Public Administration and Government at The University of North Carolina at Chape...

Federal Tax Policy in 2025, with Tom Kozlik

09 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We're joined this week by Tom Kozlik, Head of Public Policy & Municipal Strategy at Hilltop Securities. He helps us unpack what kinds of tax refor...

Outcome Budgeting and the post-ARPA Landscape, with Andrew Kleine

02 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we spoke to Andrew Kleine, Managing Director of Government and Public Sector at Ernst & Young. He told us about his work with outcome-b...

Fiscal Distress in Local Government, with Vijay Kapoor

18 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We're joined this week by Vijay Kapoor, Chief of Staff to the Receiver for the City of Chester, Pennsylvania. He talked to us about his background wor...

Continuous Improvement in City Government, with Mayor Christina Muryn

11 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we talk to Findlay, Ohio Mayor Christina Muryn, who has established herself as a "continuous improvement mayor" through the time, effort, a...

Emergency Management and Local Resiliency, with Steve Hagerty

21 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In the past month, the southeastern United States has been hit by two highly destructive storms: Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton. This week, we ...

Financial Leadership in the Last Frontier, with Angie Flick

14 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Few localities in the United States must consider glacial outburst flooding when strategizing about natural hazard mitigation, and fewer still have no...

Strategic Planning in Local Government, with Abhi Nemani

07 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we talk to Abhi Nemani, Senior Vice President of Product Strategy at Euna Solutions. He tells us about the role technology can play in help...

Public Finance among Tribal Nations, with Casey Lozar

30 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we're joined by Casey Lozar, Vice President at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis and Director of the Center for Indian Country Develo...

Redesigning the Work Week, with Scott Vargo

23 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We've heard before about rethinking the 40-hour work week, but what effects could a redesigned work week have on productivity, morale, and public safe...

Targeted Improvement in Financial Reporting, with Joel Black

16 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week we're joined by Joel Black, chair of the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB). He talks to us about the GASB and the important wor...

Muni Finance meets the Blockchain, with Eric Mason

09 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Local government may not be synonymous with "blockchain technology," but our guest this week, Eric Mason, CFO of Quincy, Mass., shows us just how usef...

Thinking Strategically about Energy Savings, with Victoria Yarbrough

26 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We're joined this week by Victoria Yarbrough, who serves as Assistant City Manager for Sierra Vista, AZ. She talks to us about how her city has levera...

Public Money in the Beehive State, with Utah Treasurer Marlo Oaks

19 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In the latest installment of our state treasurer series, we speak with Utah Treasurer Marlo Oaks. He talks to us about why he made the jump from inves...

Measuring Municipal Climate Risk, with Steve Bullock

12 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

By the 2050s, one in five U.S. counties will face compound material exposure to two or more acute climate hazards such as drought, extreme heat, wildf...

BONUS EPISODE: Deep dives with Jon Mondillo

08 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We weren't able to fit everything from our conversation with Jon Mondillo (abrdn) into one episode, but we still wanted to share the rest of it! Enjoy...

Relative Value in Municipal Bonds and their Issuers, with Jon Mondillo

05 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we talk to Jon Mondillo, Head of North American Fixed Income at abrdn. He tells us about taking advantage of strong demand in the marketpla...

The Human Capital Crisis in State and Local Public Finance, with Heidi Voorhees

29 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

State and local governments are struggling to hire public finance professionals. Is this due to a shortage of qualified individuals, or something else...

The New Politics of Local Budgeting

22 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

From small municipalities to large urban centers, how do we define "politics" in local government budgeting? How do elected officials and finance prof...

Leveraging Federal Money, with Kevin Bain

15 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How has Detroit turned around their finances to receive a major credit upgrade? What challenges still linger, especially when it comes to using federa...

Investing in the Prairie State, with Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs

08 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Our state treasurer series continues with Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs. We discuss responsible financial stewardship; the state of ESG; Illinoi...

The Moving Parts of California's Budget, with Jennifer Johnston

01 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Housing affordability, the boom-and-bust cycle of the tech industry, and fiscal policymaking at the ballot box. How does a credit analyst view Califor...

Rethinking Financial Reporting?

24 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In our season 3 premiere, we caught up with speakers from the panel on "Rethinking Financial Reporting" at the 2024 GFOA Conference in Orlando. We div...

Financial Leadership in the Golden State, with California Treasurer Fiona Ma

06 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We wrap up Season 2 with California Treasurer Fiona Ma. We cover California’s deficit; the challenge and opportunity of ESG investing; why housing a...

Season 2 Retrospective

29 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As we wrap up season 2, we look back at some of the themes that dominated the season. These key themes include state revenue challenges, the emergence...

Paying for the Polls, with Zach Mohr

15 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to Zach Mohr, Professor at the University of Kansas, about all things elections (not campaign!) finance. He unpacks the many types election ad...

Leading for Local Resilience, with Genesis Gavino

08 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We welcome Genesis Gavino, Chief of Staff and Resilience Officer for the City of Dallas, TX. She explains why resilience is an environmental, financia...

Changes, Constants, and Cycles in California Budgeting, with Gabe Petek

01 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We converse on California's state budget with Gabe Petek, Legislative Analyst for the State of California. He explains California's dueling state budg...

The Cost of Administrative Burden, with Don Moynihan

18 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Professor Don Moynihan from Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy shares his views on "administrative burden." He tells us how he de...

The Advent of AI in Auditing, with Casey Kopcho

11 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to Casey Kopcho, principal auditor in the Oregon Secretary of State's office. He shares his thoughts on the risks, opportunities and outlook f...

Banking on Bond Banks, with Michael Gaughan

26 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to Michael Gaughan, Executive Director of Vermont Bond Bank (and rumored long-time Public Money Pod fan). He tells us why bond banks are well-...

Public Money and Opportunity Zones, with Matt Wachter and Drew Whiting

12 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We visit with Matt Wachter and Drew Whiting, co-founder and current Executive Director, respectively, of the Erie (PA) Downtown Development Corpo...

Accounting for Public Assets, with Dag Detter

05 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to Dag Detter, author of The Public Wealth of Cities and advisor to governments around the world. We consider how state/local governments acco...

Financial Leadership from the GFOA, with Laura Allen

29 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We welcome Laura Allen, budget analyst with the Maryland Department of Budget and Management AND current President of the Government Finance Officers ...

Optimizing Innovation, with Kansas Treasurer Steven Johnson

22 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We continue our state treasurer series with Kansas Treasurer Steven Johnson. We discuss his office's role in distributing federal funding; his take on...

Baby Bonds and Banking for Bud, with Washington State Treasurer Mike Pellicciotti

15 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We continue our state treasurer series with Washington State Treasurer Mike Pellicciotti. We discuss how his office has led the legislative effort on ...

Public Money in the Bayou State, with Louisiana Treasurer John Schroder

09 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to Louisiana Treasurer John Schroder about Louisiana's finances. He shares his views on ESG investing, how pension investing can drive economi...

Causes, Costs and Creative Solutions to Homelessness, with Dawn Lang and Riann Balch

09 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to Dawn Lang (CFO) and Riann Balch (Community Resources Manager) from the City of Chandler, AZ. They walk us through the causes and consequenc...

Visions of a Public Finance Futurist, with Megan Kilgore

18 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We visit with Megan Kilgore, City Auditor for the City of Columbus, Ohio. She explains the challenges and opportunities of an income tax-driven munici...

Financial Leadership in the Silver State, with Abbe Yacoben

11 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We visit with Washoe County, Nevada CFO Abbe Yacoben. She describes the County's unique financial challenges and opportunities; its efforts to address...

"Two Questions Deep" on AI and Public Money, with Morgan Wright

04 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to Morgan Wright, a renowned expert on government tech, AI, and cybersecurity. He shares his view on tech talent in the public sector, how cit...

Observations on OPEB Obligations, with Travis Ahern

27 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We visit with Travis Ahern, Town Administrator of Holliston, Massachusetts. He explains the challenges and opportunities of other post-employment bene...

Financial Leadership for Sustainability, with Pamela Frederick

20 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to Pamela Frederick, CFO of the Battery Park City Authority in New York City. She describes Battery Park City's unique sustainability challeng...

SPECIAL EPISODE - 2023 Election Recap with Alan Greenblatt

14 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We have a family meeting with Alan Greenblatt, reporter from Governing, to recap what the 2023 election results mean for state and local public money....

Non-Profit Hospitals' Financial Health, with Bobby Bruning

06 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to Bobby Bruning from Kaufman Hall about the financial health of non-profit healthcare. He talks about the financial challenges facing some n...

Big and SMAll Opportunities in Municipal Bonds, with James Pruskowski

30 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We visit with James Pruskowski, Chief Investment Officer at 16Rock Asset Management. He explains the remarkable growth in municipal SMAs (Separately M...

Candy Crush, Call of Duty and Capital Budgets, with Joost Van Dreunen

23 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We cover the state of play in interactive entertainment (i.e. video games) with Professor Joost van Dreunen from NYU's Stern School of Business. He t...

Spock, Mr. Miyagi and Government Performance, with Michael Jacobson

16 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to Michael Jacobson, Deputy Director of Performance Strategy in the King County (WA) Office of Performance, Strategy, and Budget. He shares in...

Financial Leadership, Public School Style - with Tamara Mitchell

02 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We talk school finance with Tamara Mitchell, Assistant Superintendent for Business & Financial Services for the Joliet, IL School District 86. She...

EMERGENCY EPISODE - Surviving the Shutdown - with Emily Brock

28 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On this "emergency family meeting" episode we talk federal government shutdown with the Government Finance Officers Association's federal government g...

Antiquated to AI in Muni Finance, with Matthew Gerstenfeld

25 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to Matthew Gerstenfeld, CEO and Founder of Munichain. He talks about the evolution of the municipal market, why the muni market is slow to a...

Paying for Results 2.0, with Caroline Whistler

18 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to Caroline Whistler of Third Sector Capital Partners, who reflects on her decade plus in the Pay for Results space with state and local gover...

Investing in People in the First State, with Treasurer Colleen Davis

11 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We continue our conversations with state treasurers, this time with Delaware Treasurer Colleen Davis. She tells us about her work in expanding the sta...

Smart Investments for Cybersecurity, with Omid Rahmani

28 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to Omid Rahmani from Fitch Ratings about the intersection of cybersecurity and public finance. He describes the many types of cyber risks gove...

Sales Taxes in the Wake of Wayfair, with Max Behlke

21 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Liz talks to Max Behkle, Deputy Executive Director for the Institute for State Policy Leaders, about South Dakota v. Wayfair, the Supreme Court that a...

Win-Win Investments in Water Infrastructure, with Josh Weimer

14 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We visit with Josh Weimer from the Turlock (CA) Irrigation District about the challenges and opportunities of water infrastructure. We focus the discu...

Public Money in the Media Capital of the World, with Jennifer Becker

07 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to Jennifer Becker, Director of Financial Services for the City of Burbank, about how the actors and writers strike is affecting finances in B...

Building Better Defaults, with David Schleicher

31 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We visit with Yale law professor David Schleicher about his new book, In a Bad State: Responding to State and Local Fiscal Crises. We talk about why t...

State Revenues Today and Tomorrow, with Lucy Dadayan

24 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to state budgeting expert (and Public Money Pod fan!) Lucy Dadayan from the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center about all things state revenues....

Tractors, TRA and Timeless Finance Tools, with Mitchell Smith

17 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to Mitchell Smith, Director of Government and External Affairs for the Council of Development Finance Agencies. We cover the history and devel...

Taxation without Representation, with Glen Lee

10 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We kick off season 2 with Glen Lee, the CFO of Washington D.C. We talk about the federal government’s role in D.C’s finances, the challenge of re...

Budgeting for Equity and Opportunity, with Katie Johnston and Matthew Stitt

12 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In our second episode recorded live at the Government Finance Officers Association 2023 annual conference in Portland, OR - and our final episode of S...

Unlocking State and Local Assets, with Ben McAdams

05 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We caught up with Ben McAdams, Senior Fellow at the Sorenson Impact Center at the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah, at the Go...

Going to the Moon, with Chris Brown

29 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We continue our conversations with state/local CFOs, this time with City of Houston Controller Chris Brown. He explains Houston's remarkable $6 billio...