Azavar Government Solutions Blog

Timothy McIlvain is a senior analyst in charge of electric utility audits for Illinois municipalities at Azavar Government Solutions. He specializes in ensuring that revenue from electric utilities is being accurately assessed and appropriately remitted. 

In this interview, we learn about electric utility audits and how Azavar works with providers like ComEd or Ameren on behalf of municipalities to help identify discrepancies. We also identify some common issues that are found while conducting electric utility audits and how even smaller communities can see big returns when incorrectly coded addresses are found in a provider system.

Recently there has been a great deal of discussion about the Local Government Distributive Fund (LGDF) and the State’s attempts at taking a larger piece of it.  But why do municipalities believe they are entitled to it?  What was the original agreement that makes municipalities fight so fiercely for those revenues? And how has this changed since its creation? This article will answer those questions and more as we look into the history of LGDF.

Erin Marshall is the data and information manager for Azavar Government Solutions. She has been with company since 2014 and is responsible for acquiring the necessary documents and data for the analysts to use in their audits. 

In this interview, we learn what types of data are necessary for a municipal audit and the challenges that come with acquiring that data. We also learn how Erin uses the latest technology to automate data cleansing and improve data quality, helping to produce faster, more efficient audits. 

Local officials across Illinois have been concerned that state government will eventually look to use money ordinarily earmarked for local municipalities to help balance the state budget. That worry became a reality with the override of the governor's veto last month with the budget passed by the Illinois General Assembly.

Michele Bermingham is an analyst is a member of the Azavar Government Solutions team, which focuses on maximizing tax revenue for local governments in Illinois and in other states. Michele specializes in sales tax reviews and food and beverage tax audits, also known as “Places for Eating”.

In this interview, we learn about sales tax audits and how many municipalities are changing the way they approach locally administered taxes such as food and beverage. We also discuss the importance of having a data-driven focus for local governments and steps local leaders can take to improve the efficiency of their tax revenues that are being collected.

Jon Wezner is a Senior Analyst with Azavar Government Solutions. He possesses a comprehensive background in data analysis, strategic planning and training derived from conducting domestic and global operations in the United States, Asia and the Middle East. 

In this interview, we learn how analysts with Azavar Government Solutions are helping municipalities identify opportunities for revenue enhancement within their natural gas and water utilities. We also discuss how various loopholes have been opened over the years due to the different complexities within the natural gas industry.

City managers and locally elected officials recognize the vital importance of maximizing their municipal revenues as a cornerstone of good government. The theme of an ILCMA Conference session presentation “Raising Municipal Revenues in Challenging Economic Times” was a relevant reminder that our cities must seize every opportunity to ensure that they are receiving every penny that they are due in taxes and franchise fees – not just as a strategy to help them survive a downturn, but also to ensure that they fulfill the duty of fiscal accountability to their residents and businesses.

Tom Fagan is a Senior Analyst with Azavar Government Solutions. He has over 20 years of experience working as an analyst and local government affairs manager with an emphasis on Six Sigma methodology to improve processes.

In this interview, we learn how analysts with Azavar Government Solutions are using technology to help municipalities work smarter, not harder to grow their revenue. We also identify some common challenges many cities face during a standard audit.

Municipal governments around the globe are employing big data and Internet-of-Things applications to improve many aspects of daily life. Major tech companies like IBM, Cisco and Microsoft are in on the trend, and are battling for a slice of the $15 billion that's projected to be spent on software by 2021, per Juniper Research.

Local governments throughout the State of Illinois are bracing themselves for what could be a costly invoice from the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR). Earlier this year, IDOR stated that it had located misallocated revenue linked to the Personal Property Replacement Tax (PPRT) Fund which began two years ago. An overpayment of around $168 million was found to have been given to local governments receiving PPRT disbursements, throughout the State.