Frequently Asked Questions

I am a local government representative trying to upload revenue and expenditure data and/or asset forfeiture documents to the Tax and Expenditure Data Center (TED). However, I have questions and/or I am experiencing difficulties. Who can assist me with the TED data portal?

The documents site can be found at https://ted.cviog.uga.edu/financial-documents/. If the person uploading the document(s) does not have a user account, one can be requested from the home page of the documents site. If you are not sure if you have a user account, please contact Emily Franklin.

For questions or additional information, Emily Franklin can be contacted by email or call 404.906.1181.

How can I get a map showing the different voting districts in Georgia?

Visit the Georgia Office of Legislative and Congressional Reapportionment website or call 404.656.5063.

Who can answer my question regarding the Georgia State Patrol exam?

Julia B. Haas can be contacted by email or call 706.542.1253.

What do I do about artificial revenues due to SPLOST when looking at ARPA funds?

The interim final rule for the use of ARPA funds includes a specific formula for the calculation of the growth rate to use in the revenue loss calculation. That formula uses the previous fiscal year’s revenues as the base for the calculation. If the fiscal year ends on June 30, the formula uses an exponent to adjust for growth over the six months from the fiscal year end to December 31. This is not shown explicitly in the spreadsheet; the calculation is in a hidden column.

If SPLOST revenue collections began on 7/1/19, there would be a revenue source that was not included in the growth rate calculation, but will result in greater revenues in calendar years 2020 through 2023 than you would have had otherwise. An adjustment can be made for the amount of new revenue that the SPLOST produces. The only question in the FAQ section on the interim final rule that applies is “How do I know if a certain type of revenue should be counted for the purpose of computing revenue loss?” The answer is to see the definition of “general revenue” in the IFR. Paragraph (a) below is found on page 91 of the IFR. This entire section is about changes in law or policy that result in changes to revenue from what would be expected under the baseline. A change in law or policy can be ignored unless it produces a one (1) percent change or greater to a revenue source. One percent is considered the de minimis threshold under the IFR. Treasury’s concern is a change to law or policy that reduces revenue. Treasury wants to prevent an entity from recovering revenue loss from a change it made to a law or policy.

(a) Tax and other increases in revenue. The recipient government must identify and consider covered changes in policy that the recipient government predicts will have the effect of increasing general revenue in a given reporting year. As when identifying and valuing covered changes that reduce tax revenue, the value of revenue-raising changes may be reported based on estimated values produced by a budget model, incorporating reasonable assumptions, aligned with the recipient government’s existing approach for measuring the effects of fiscal policies, and measured relative to a current law baseline, or based on actual values using a statistical methodology to isolate the change in year-over-year revenue attributable to the covered change(s). Further, and as discussed above, estimation approaches should not use dynamic scoring methodologies that incorporate the effects of macroeconomic growth because growth is accounted for separately under the Interim Final Rule. In general and where possible, reporting should be produced by the agency of the recipient government responsible for estimating the costs and effects of fiscal policy changes. This approach offers recipient governments the flexibility to determine their reporting methodology based on their existing budget scoring practices and capabilities

However, paragraph (a) addresses a change resulting in greater revenue, which would include the adoption of the SPLOST. The local government should use a methodology that isolates the amount of additional revenue attributable to the change in law or policy. This is a simple calculation since the applicable tax rates are known. As information is entered into the reporting portal, there should be a section to make the adjustment for changes to law or policy. It is important to keep information in the ARPA materials documenting exactly how the amount was determined. The instructions found at https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/136/SLFRF_Treasury-Portal-Recipient-Reporting-User-Guide.pdfindicate that there will be a section in the reporting portal to make this adjustment.

I received an invoice, but I’m not sure what it is for or why I received it?

• If it appears to be for a book, email Mallory Lawrence or contact her by phone at 706.542.6213

• If it appears to be for course or conference registration, please email Registrar or contact by phone at 706.542.2736.

• Send all other invoice inquiries to the Institute of Government.
  

How do I get permission to copy a picture from one of the Institute of Government’s publications?

Contact the Institute of Government’s Office of Communications by email.

I am a member of the news media. Who can I contact to assist me?

Contact Communications Director Courtney Alford-Pomeroy by email or by phone at 706.542.6221.

Who do I contact to verify employment with the Institute of Government?

Verifying employment at UGA is easy. There are two options to instantly get the information you need: 1) online at The Work Number or 2) by phone at 800.367.5690.

Suggested Pattern Jury Instructions

As of August 30, 2016, all current subscriptions to Georgia's Suggested Pattern Jury Instructions have transitioned to the Council of Superior Court Judges of Georgia website at https://georgiasuperiorcourts.org/pattern-jury-instructions. Please add noreply@georgiasuperiorcourts.org to your contacts in order to ensure you receive emails from the Council regarding your subscription.

Questions regarding your new account access should be directed to Council of Superior Court Judges, (404) 463-1091 or spji@georgiasuperiorcourts.org.

Georgia County Guide

The Georgia County Guide is only available online at georgiadata.org/data/data-tables

Georgia Studies Book

The Georgia Studies Book is out of print and will not be reprinted by the Carl Vinson Institute of Government. No copies are available. The text will not be updated, and we no longer have faculty who can assist with questions related to the Georgia Studies Book. Some of the textbook content is being repackaged by Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB), who now holds copyright. Any questions should be addressed to GPB.

State and Local Government Review

State and Local Government Review is now published by Sage Publications, Inc.