The Bottom-Up Revolution From Biostatistics to Better Streets in Fayetteville
Feb 24, 2026
Aaron Caldwell, an assistant professor of biostatistics and part-time small-scale developer in Fayetteville, uses data tools to decode municipal finances. He discusses applying public-health data skills to city budgets. He explains the Finance Decoder and its metrics. He also recounts a South Fayetteville infill project and why he chose Fayetteville as home.
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Using Data Skills To Decode City Finances
- Aaron applies biostatistics skills to analyze municipal finances using public ACFRs.
- He and Andy Postrick ran a Finance Decoder across regional cities back to 2009 to reveal long-term fiscal trajectories.
Analyzing A Local Bond With A Strong Towns Lens
- Aaron and Nathan McCloskey analyzed a Fayetteville bond measure with a Strong Towns perspective for local voters.
- They flagged that the bond mixes essential infrastructure with discretionary 'fun' projects that may be long-term luxuries.
Run The Finance Decoder On ACFRs
- Use the Finance Decoder to get a systematic, comparable snapshot of a city's fiscal health from ACFRs.
- Check ratios like debt-to-revenue, current assets vs liabilities, and netbook TCA to spot maintenance shortfalls.