Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Elimination Of The Federal Tax Deductibility Of State And Local Taxes: Possible Effects On State And Local Tax Structures, John M. Foster

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Through the use of intermediaries such as elected officials and hired advocates, people choose the level of resources that will be used for public goods and services, as well as the manner in which those resources will be used. They also decide how these goods and services will be financed. The extent to which governments utilize taxes on income, wealth, and consumption is guided by considerations of political factors, equity, administrative costs, revenue adequacy, and the effects of the tax system on allocative efficiency. Incentives that are embedded in the federal tax system may also influence state and local tax …

Outcome Evaluation Of The Center For Women, Children And Families' Parenting Program, Elena Buzarnescu

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

The evaluation of family support programs employing parent education to achieve prevention of child abuse and neglect is an important consideration for professionals as it can provide a good insight into possible improvements of a program.

A parent education program administered by the Center for Women, Children and Families (CWCF) was assessed using participants’ pre- and post-program scores on the Adult-Adolescent Parenting Inventory (AAPI-2) from 148 parents.

Statistical analysis indicated that parenting knowledge has significantly improved on all five dimensions measured following program attendance. This finding supported the answer to the first research question. To answer the second research question, …

Financial Efficiency In The Nonprofit Sector: An Analysis Of Factors Affecting Expense Ratios Of Kentucky Nonprofits, Emily A. Lane

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Statement of Problem

Recent events in both the public and private sectors have lead to an environment of mistrust and caution surrounding the way organizations are managed and funds are handled. For the nonprofit sector, this has led to an emergence of charity rating or watchdog organizations and increased scrutiny of finances. Individual donors, charity rating agencies, and funding institutions have begun using expense ratios as a measure of financial efficiency. Decisions on the financial efficiency of organizations are being made without a good understanding of what factors affect these ratios.

Research Questions

The purpose of this paper is to …

Economic Impact Study For Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Division Of Parks And Recreation, Melynda L. Milburn

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

When requesting funds, planning activities or soliciting input from the public or elected officials, the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Division of Parks and Recreation needs to be able to document the economic impact of its activities. The challenge is a lack of data to illustrate that impact. Considering this information gap, it would be even more difficult to gain support for a consistent funding source based on the economic impact of Lexington Parks and Recreation programs.

The intention of this capstone is to answer the following questions:

• Does Lexington Parks and Recreation have an impact on money being brought into Fayette …

Where Supply Meets Demand: Women In Diesel Mechanics, Emily Raine

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

In 2004, with a participation rate of 59.2 percent, women represented 46 percent of the total U. S. labor force. This same year, women earned an average of $573 per week, approximately 80 percent of men’s median weekly earnings. It is rarely disputed that a gender wage gap exists; rather it is the cause of this differential that is often the subject of debate. Empirical evidence indicates that the wage differential can be attributed to factors such as differences in education, labor market experience, and occupational choice.

Research has consistently shown that increases in educational attainment will lead to positive …

Evaluating Awareness Of Community Health And Human Services By The Hispanic Population In Lexington, Kentucky, Pilar Corbellini

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Over the past 10 years, Hispanics, predominately Mexicans, have become a notable component of immigration in Kentucky. At the same time, the city of Lexington has striven to increase and stimulate community efforts to help and support people in need. Over 2000 non-profit organizations exist in the city and surrounding areas that unite community support to assist people seeking help.

Among non-profit agencies, particularly the United Way of the Bluegrass, there is a perceived idea that people in need and seeking help are overwhelmed with information about available community human and health services. Notwithstanding this perception, a different reality seems …

Survey Of Physical Agility Testing And Officer Fitness Levels In Kentucky Police Departments, Charles Nathan Brown

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Statement of Problem

HB 455 brought about the 1998 Omnibus Crime Act which created the Police Officer Professional Standards;16 requirements to becoming a peace officer in Kentucky. Five of the standards defined minimum physical agility standards. Though physical agility testing has had a history of controversy, validation studies have been created to support this practice. Though officers are testing for a level of physical agility upon entering the police officer field in Kentucky, no statewide policy has been passed to ensure that this level be maintained. This study examines the presence of physical agility testing in Kentucky police departments and …

Securing The Commonwealth: Changing Emergency Preparedness In Kentucky: A Study Of The Efforts Of The Department Of Homeland Security In Changing Emergency Preparedness At The County Level, Christopher Cross

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Statement of the Problem

During the first 24 to 72 hours following a terrorist attack, local officials and first responders will be responsible for dealing with the initial aftermath. While most officials—federal, state, and local—have all acknowledged that domestic preparedness must occur at the bottom of the governmental structure, it is unclear if any changes to emergency response planning have actually occurred at the local governmental level.

Research Questions

The intention of this capstone is to answer the following questions:

1. Has change in emergency response planning occurred at the county level?

2. Are there regional differences present in terms of organizational …

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First Responders On The Front Line: Measuring The Effect Of Mobilization On Emergency Services, Kate Pringle

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Statement of Problem

National guardsmen are a unique human resource issue because their association with the guard is frequently part-time with another position, such as a State Trooper, acting as primary employment. When mobilized, the guardsman leaves an opening in their department, which must be available upon return. This can create operational and management stresses, especially if the guardsman has unique skills. Moreover, the loss of personnel can mean critical loss of manpower to small emergency service departments.

Research Question

• What affects the impact of mobilization?

• How are Kentucky’s emergency services affected by military mobilization as opposed to other types …

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Development Forecast: The Fiscal Effects On Property Taxes And Occupational License Fees And The Social Costs And Benefits Of Urban Redevelopment In Lexington-Fayette County, Kentucky, Tony J. Stoeppel

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Real estate development has effects on the publicly recorded property valuation of a parcel. The extent of the relationship in Lexington-Fayette County demands further analysis. Redevelopment also has unintended social costs the public may be forced to bear. This study presents estimates of the fiscal impact a redevelopment project has on the local tax revenues. The study population used for analysis includes redevelopment projects completed within the last six years in the downtown Lexington area. The research attempts to formalize a relationship among the incremental change in the publicly recorded value, the cost of redevelopment, and the distance the project …

Measuring Environmental Compliance Assistance Outcomes: A Benefit Cost Analysis Of The Kentucky Business Environmental Assistance Program, Kenya K. Stump

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

The 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA) established, in section 507, the Small Business Stationary Source Technical and Environmental Compliance Assistance Program (SBTCP). SBTCPs under the CAAA are designed to provide small stationary air pollution sources with technical and compliance assistance, develop tools and disseminate information, communicate requirements under the Act, and assist small businesses with pollution prevention.

In Kentucky, the compliance and technical assistance program is known as the Kentucky Business Environmental Assistance Program (KBEAP). Since the program’s inception, measures of performance have primarily focused on outputs. With the establishment of Goal 5 of the 2003-2008 Environmental Protection Agency …

Organizational Structures And State Departments Of Transportation, Candice Y. Wallace

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

No executive summary.

An Exploratory Analysis Of The Fayette-County Urban League Senior Community Service Employment Program (Scsep): What Are The Barriers Facing Scsep Participants, Kelly S. Woodall

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Statement of the Problem

The Lexington Fayette County Urban League Senior Community Service Employment Program is a federally funded program designed to assist low-income senior citizens find unsubsidized employment. To accomplish this mission the SCSEP utilizes a number of activities in an effort to address barriers that inhibit successfully finding unsubsidized employment. The Executive Director believes that the extent to which she can successfully address the barriers of those considered hard-to-place will have an impact on how well the program meets future mandates.

Research Methodology

The research is an exploratory analysis of the barriers that current and former (successfully placed) …

Economic Analysis Of Kentucky Being A Part Of The National Lambda Rail, Chithra Perumal

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Electronic connectivity and information network systems form a major part of the overall modern research infrastructure. High capacity networks allow for the sharing vast amounts of data between research laboratories, analysis of complex images, and other demanding computer applications. The major electronic information network that is being established in the USA to improve electronic communication in the research field is the National Lambda Rail (NLR). NLR is a nationwide broad bandwidth computing network used by leading research institutions. NLR provides national scale infrastructure for research and experimentation. Most of the member states of NLR have high ranking in terms of …

Contracting Waste Collection In Kenton County: Will Inter-Municipality Cooperation Decrease Cost?, Thomas A. Rauf

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Inter-municipal cooperation can be a valuable tool used by cities to decrease the costs of public services. An analysis of waste collection costs in Kenton County have indicated that using inter-municipal cooperation to change the contracting method from the sixteen cities individually contracting to the cities contracting as one unit (inter-municipal cooperation) will not decrease the cost of waste collection per household per year. Inter-municipal cooperation might still be appropriate given other criteria, such as equity, ensuring that all households have the same or similar waste collection services.

This study recommends that (1) the cities of Kenton County not proceed …

Public Authorities And Determinants Of Aggregate Debt: Kentucky's Municipal Governments, Derek J. Bridges

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Special purpose entities, or Public Authorities, constitute a substantial portion of the public sector. In Kentucky, these entities provide large percentages of the services offered by state and local governments, employ thousands, have immense budgets, and issue large quantities of debt. It is this debt issuance that may be of concern to public administrators.

The purpose of this study was to examine the numbers and types of Authorities operating in a selection of Kentucky municipalities and how these Authorities, combined with other possible determinants, affect the levels of aggregate debt in the jurisdictions. A combination of analytical methods demonstrated that …

Interlocal Cooperation In The Bluegrass Area Development District: What Factors Lead To Success?, Lora B. Littleton

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Regionalism, or interlocal cooperation, is an important consideration for elected officials in the Bluegrass Area Development District. The reasons to join in a partnership and the suspected outcome are of great concern to the judge-executives and mayors but also to the communities they serve. In order to assist elected officials in their decision-making capacities, this study was designed to primarily analyze what factors lead to success in regional projects within the Bluegrass ADD. A secondary consideration was to look at when and why local governments enter into regional efforts.

A statistical analysis was performed on a sample of regional projects …

The Color Purple: Can Alternative Election Systems Better Represent American Political Behavior?, Krista Rinehart

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

No executive summary.

Contracting With Nonprofit Organizations: A Model For Local Governments, Renee Jackson

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

A number of factors have contributed to the rise in nonprofit organizations during the last three decades. No matter the reasons one significant consequence has been an intensification of competition for available funding. With the increasing competition for funding there is growing concern that there may not be an equitable and efficient method in place for many funders to base their allocation decisions on. These concerns arise from the issues that occur during funding processes such as: how open and competitive is the request for proposal process; is there duplication of the same service; can the organization adequately provide the …

When The Safety Net Fails: An Analysis Of Alternative Long-Term Care Services In Kentucky, Suzanne Dale

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

The Problem

In early 2003, the Kentucky Cabinet for Health Services, faced with a $450 million Medicaid shortfall, implemented several cost-cutting measures to the Medicaid program. The most visible measure included new stricter medical eligibility requirements for long-term care programs. As a result of these new requirements, approximately 2,813 elderly and disabled Kentuckians were denied services in Kentucky’s Aged/Disabled Home and Community-Based Waiver Program, a Medicaid program that provides long-term care services in people’s homes and in community-settings. The Cabinet for Health Services claimed that those who lost home and community-based Medicaid services could receive care through alternative state programs. …