Municipal Enterprise

The Council of Development Finance Agencies (CDFA) is a national association comprised of the leading members of the development finance community representing more than 165 public, quasi-public and private companies involved in municipal and development finance throughout the United States. The Council was formed in 1982 with the mission to strengthen the efforts of state and local development finance agencies fostering job creation and economic growth through the use of tax-exempt and other public-private partnership finance programs and vehicles. Read more about Council of Development Finance Agencies...

Since 1981, as a result of voters passing ballot measures to create affordable housing, Seattle has now funded over 10,000 affordable apartments, provided down-payment loans to more than 600 first-time homebuyers and rental assistance to more than 4,000 households. Additionally, in early 2008, former Mayor Nickel launched the Foreclosure Prevention Program, which provides stabilization loans of up to $5,000, initially assisting at least 40 low-income homeowners with funds revolving over time to assist more homeowners at risk of foreclosure. Read more about Seattle: City Office of Housing...

The Port of Seattle operates a cruise port and container facilities, also operates Seattle-Tacoma (Sea-Tac) airport. In 2003, operating revenues were $321 million. It also leases commercial space, including business conference facilities. Read more about Port of Seattle...

In addition to its international grant-making, the Skoll Foundation also disburses over a million a year in grant dollars to support projects in Silicon Valley, where it is based. Additionally, Skoll makes program-related investments in some of its grantees. For instance, in 2005, Skoll made a $1 million, 5-year 1% interest PRI loan to enable Lenders for Community Development to further expand its micro-enterprise, affordable housing, and community facility loan programs. Read more about Skoll Foundation...

San Jose Water is owned and operated by the City of San Jose and is entirely self-supporting. It was created in 1961 when the City purchased the Evergreen Water Company to ensure that the rapidly growing Evergreen community would have a reliable source of water. Today, the company serves about 100,000 people in four city neighborhoods: North San Jose/Alviso, Evergreen, Edenvale and Coyote.

The publicly owned EBMUD provides water services to over a million customers in the East Bay. EBMUD has converted a full 90 percent of its service cars were hybrid vehicles as part of the agency's efforts to engage in environmentally responsible business practices. Read more about East Bay Municipal Utility District...

Pike Place Market, established in 1907, provides rental space for 220 small business, 250 artisans, 80 farmers, and 350 residents—half of whom are low income seniors. In 2014, the overall vacancy rate was less than 2% and revenues reached $16.9 million. The Market is owned and managed by the Pike Place Market Preservation & Development Authority (PDA), a not-for-profit, public corporation chartered by the City of Seattle in 1973. Read more about Pike Place Market...

The Glasgow Electric Plant Board governs the municipally owned power company in Glasgow, Kentucky. The service division provides consulting services and viability studies to those communities interested in starting a municipally owned utility, the acquisition of a privately operated facility, or the diversification of existing services. Read more about Glasgow Electric Power Board...

Founded in 1906, Cleveland Public Power is Ohio's largest public power company and the 35th largest in the nation. In the 1970s, the city was almost forced to sell the company. In 1977, then Mayoral candidate (now Congressman) Dennis Kucinich (D) ran on a platform to stop the sale. Two years later, city residents voted 2-to-1 against privatizing their municipal power system. In 1986 then-Mayor (now U.S. Senator) George Voinovich (R) introduced legislation to enable the utility to expand its service system. Read more about Cleveland Public Power...