Public Money Pod

Hosted by Center for Municipal Finance

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Episodes

138

Latest episode

Jun 2026

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About the show

Each year state and local governments spend $4 trillion dollars. Where does that money come from? Where does it go? Who manages it? And what do citizens and taxpayers have to show for it? In this podcast we explore the budgets, bonds, and bureaucrats at the heart of state and local public finance. The Public Money Pod is a production of the University of Chicago's Center for Municipal Finance. It is co-hosted by Liz Farmer and Justin Marlowe.

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60 recent

June 15, 202655 min

The Future of Property Tax Collections? With Adam J. Cohen

In this week's episode we discuss the means and tools available to municipalities to collect property taxes owed and the case of Pung v. Isabella County with our guest Adam J. Cohen, chair of the Municipal Law and Community Associations section at Pullman & Comley. Oral arguments were heard before the U.S. Supreme Court in February 2026, but a decision has yet to be handed down. The outcome is expected to have significant implications for property tax foreclosure law nationwide.

June 1, 202651 min

Local Government Trust and Auditing with Mark Funkhouser

Mark Funkhouser spent decades in government service, first as a municipal auditor, then as Mayor of Kansas City, Missouri and he discusses how the role of local governments has changed and who they really serve. Now leading Funkhouser & Associates, he brings that experience to bear on local government accountability, the rise of private equity in essential services, and what monopoly control means for the communities that have no choice but to pay up.

May 18, 202658 min

From Federal to Local: Reimagining Public Sector Careers with Caitlin Lewis

This week, we sit down with Caitlin Lewis, Founding Executive Director of Work for America, to explore the shifting landscape of public sector employment. We discuss how her organization is helping workers navigate the transition from federal to local government amid ongoing federal restructuring, what it takes to fix a hiring process that too often drives talented people away, and why working in government deserves a serious rebrand. Caitlin also shares her thinking on how to inspire the next generation to see public service as a meaningful and exciting career path.

May 11, 202655 min

Investing in the Water distribution infrastructure with Adam Carpenter and Rachel Gonsenhauser

In this week's episode, we sit down with Adam Carpenter, Manager of Energy and Environmental Policy, and Rachel Gonsenhauser, Regulatory Technical Manager of Government Affairs at the American Water Works Association, to explore the state of water distribution systems across the United States. They discuss the scale of investment needed to modernise ageing infrastructure and what that means for consumers and their water bills.

May 4, 202655 min

How Boston Is Financing Its Climate Future with Chris Osgood and Ian Donnelly

This week, we sit down with Chris Osgood, Director of Boston's Office of Climate Resilience and Senior Advisor for Infrastructure to Mayor Michelle Wu, and Ian Donnelly, Deputy Budget Director and Director of Capital Planning for the City of Boston. We explore how Boston is embedding climate resilience into its capital planning process and the tough tradeoffs between near-term fiscal pressures and long-term resilience investments. We also discuss what other cities can learn from Boston's approach to making climate-conscious infrastructure spending a core part of public finance.

April 27, 202646 min

Modernising the Philadelphia Parking Authority with Keola Harrington

This week we are joined by Keola Harrington, the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA) to discuss how the PPA has evolved since it's creation nearly seventy years ago. How the institution has changed to facilitate mobility in the city for the residents and using technology for these purposes.

April 20, 202647 min

How States Navigate Federal Disaster Funding, with Colin Foard

This week we discuss the changing landscape of federal funding for disasters available to states with Colin Foard Project Director for Managing Fiscal Risks. How have the eligibility criteria changed over the years? And what other in-state funding methods available to intervene.

April 13, 202654 min

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

In this episode we discuss instilling fiscal responsibility in federal budgeting practices to ensure the national debt remains at sustainable levels. Professors Steve Redburn , Philip G. Joyce and Roy Meyers discuss checks and balances introduced by congress and the manifesto they have created to foster such practices again.

April 6, 202657 min

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

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 the adoption of AI and how it's transforming the workplace and service delivery.

March 30, 202655 min

Financing the Data Center Boom

This week we talk about a very pertinent topic: How will the local electric grid accommodate the data center boom? When power grids tend to operate on close to maximum capacity, even a modest increase in demand demands significant investment. Where will those investments come from, and where will they go?