E-mail: govrates@govrates.com
Call us toll-free: (833) GOV-PLAN
(833) 468-7526

NATIONAL EXPERTISE

The highly-qualified and experienced GovRates team has worked with hundreds of government entities and has enjoyed tremendous success in securing the adoption, implementation, and public acceptance of our recommendations.

PAPERS / ARTICLES

The GovRates team has authored many papers or articles on issues at the forefront of our industry, two of which won national awards.  The following were written by GovRates team members:​

​​“Utility Rates and the Political Environment.” Journal AWWA. August 2011.

Winner of the national 2012 AWWA Management & Leadership Division Best Paper Award.

“Utility Impact Fees: Practices and Challenges.” Journal AWWA. April 2012.

Winner of the national 2013 AWWA Management & Leadership Division Best Paper Award.

“Optimal Debt Management Practices for Local Government Enterprises.”
Journal of Government Financial Management. Fall 2012.

“Utility Transfers to the General Fund: What Is Reasonable, Fair, and Legal?”
Journal AWWA. October 2012.

“The Finance Director’s Role in Helping Public Enterprises Look Their Best.”
Government Finance Review. October 2012.

“Preparing for Rate Studies and Bond Financings: Is Your Utility Ready?”
Florida Water Resources Journal. May 2013.

“Developing a Management Dashboard for Local Government Enterprise
Funds.” Journal of Government Financial Management. Winter 2016-2017.
Reprinted by the fmi-igf e-Journal of the Financial Management Institute
of Canada in March 2017.

MANUALS OF PRACTICE

GovRates team members have also been coauthors or contributing authors of the following American Water Works Association (AWWA) and Water Environment Federation (WEF) industry-wide manuals of practice:​

​​AWWA Manual of Practice 1 (M1): Principles of Water Rates, Fees, and Charges, Seventh Edition. Substantial contributions to chapter on system development charges / impact fees.

AWWA Manual of Practice 5 (M5): Water Utility Management, Third Edition. Technical reviewer.

AWWA Manual of Practice 29 (M29): Water Utility Capital Financing, Fourth Edition. Wrote brand new, comprehensive chapter entitled “Preparing the Utility for Financing” that discusses certain utility best management practices and the characteristics of highly-rated or financially strong utilities, especially the factors over which utility managers have control.

AWWA Manual of Practice 52 (M52): Water Conservation Programs – A Planning Manual, Second Edition.  Contributions to section on rates.

AWWA Manual of Practice 54 (M54): Developing Rates for Small Systems, Second Edition. Substantial contributions.

WEF Manual of Practice 27 (MOP 27): Financing and Charges for Wastewater Systems, Second Edition. Technical Reviewer.

PRESENTATIONS

​Members of the GovRates team have made thousands of presentations to governing bodies, clients, and the general public.  We have frequently been invited to speak at industry conferences on various topics. The following presentations have been made by GovRates staff at national and local conferences:

​​Florida Section of the American Water Works Association, “Preparing for Rate Studies and Bond Financings: Is Your Utility Ready?” Fall 2012 Conference, Orlando, Florida, November 27, 2012. Paper for presentation became article published in May 2013 edition of Florida Water Resources Journal.

Florida Rural Water Association, “Utility Rates and the Political Environment: Establishing the Utility Business Foundation and Managing the Rate Approval Process.” 2013 Annual Training Conference, Daytona Beach, Florida, August 14, 2013.

Florida Government Finance Officers Association, “Utility Infrastructure Financing.” School of Governmental Finance, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, November 5, 2015.

Florida Government Finance Officers Association, “Financial Planning for Enterprise Funds: Tips and Strategies.” School of Governmental Finance, Fort Myers, Florida, October 27, 2016.

American Water Works Association and Water Environment Federation, “Managing Utility Growth: A Financial Perspective.” Utility Management Conference, Tampa, Florida, February 8, 2017.

Florida Government Finance Officers Association, “Revenue Enhancement Opportunities for Enterprise Funds.” School of Governmental Finance, Jacksonville, Florida, Scheduled for Late October, 2017.

NATIONAL COMMITTEES

​The GovRates team participates in national committees to stay current with industry trends, new ideas, and innovations.  We have been active members of the following committees:

​Rates and Charges Committee of the AWWA, a committee of leading rate consultants, utility managers, and academics.

Utility Management Committee of WEF.

AWWA National Water and Wastewater Rate Survey Advisory Committee.