General revenue sharing loss: alabama local government fiscal responses

Abstract

This study explores linkage between Alabama local governments’ lost General Revenue Sharing (GRS) and their resultant coping strategies in the years following this federal program’s demise. Previous studies have failed consistently to relate particular coping strategies to how GRS monies were spent and to differing magnitudes of GRS loss among governmental jurisdictions. This study finds a possible linkage between Alabama local governments that cut basic governmental services and their previous GRS “dependency” and spending preferences.