Governing, a national magazine and media platform devoted to policy, politics, and management in state and local government, is shutting down this week after nearly 33 years of public-sector reporting. For its final cover story, data editor Mike Maciag digs into the cities, towns, and counties nationwide that over-rely on fines and fees to fund local budgets. These sources of revenue have been increasing steadily in areas where the prospect of raising taxes poses political challenges, but ballooning fines are quickly becoming unsustainable as they threaten the long-term stability of local governments and incentivize conflicts of interest between public servants and their communities.

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