Peer-Reviewed Publications

  1. The Role of Property Assessment Oversight in School Finance Inequality Combs, A.E., Foster, J.M., & Troland, E. National Tax Journal (2026) Read Paper
  2. “You Keep Using That Word. I Do Not Think It Means What You Think It Means”: Interjurisdictional Equity in Local Option Tax Policy Afonso, W., & Combs, A. American Review of Public Administration (2026) Read Paper
  3. State Subsidy Reallocations and Postsecondary Institution Spending: Driving a Divergence in Education Quality and Amenities Combs, A. Research in Higher Education (2026) Read Paper
  4. A Framework for Sales Tax Base Expansion: Food Taxation in North Carolina and Applications for Other States Afonso, W., & Combs, A. Public Budgeting & Finance (2026) Read Paper
  5. Beyond Access and Enrollment: How Distance Relates to Persistence and Degree Completion Among Students Attending In-State Public Institutions Combs, A.E. Journal of Postsecondary Student Success (2026) Read Paper
  6. Constraints and Contributions: The Effects of Tax Limits on Education-Supporting Nonprofit Revenue Combs, A., & Kim, S. Public Finance Review (2026) Read Paper
  7. Dollars, Desks, and Development: The Impact of Local Sales Tax Revenue Redistribution on Recipient Programs in North Carolina Combs, A.E., & Afonso, W. National Tax Journal (2025) Read Paper
  8. Plugging the Tax Leak: An Analysis of North Carolina’s Local Sales Tax Redistribution Policy Afonso, W., Combs, A., & Buerger, C. State and Local Government Review (2024) Read Paper
  9. High School Student Achievement and College Enrollment in the Absence of School Improvement Interventions: Evidence from Kentucky Combs, A.E. Public Finance and Management (2023) Read Paper
  10. The Effects of Homestead Exemptions for Seniors and Disabled People on School Districts Combs, A.E., & Foster, J.M. AERA Open (2021) Read Paper
  11. Local Response to School Finance Equalization: Wealth or Place? Combs, A., Foster, J.M., & Toma, E.F. Public Finance and Management (2018) Read Paper


Working Papers

  1. Sharing the Burden: Did Sales Tax Redistribution Alleviate Excess Property Taxes in North Carolina Counties? Combs, A., & Afonso, W. Under review, Journal of Urban Affairs
  2. The Influence of Special Districts on Local Nonprofit Markets: Evidence from County-Level Persistence and Relocation Park, H., Combs, A., Kim, S., & Jung, J. Under review, Nonprofit Management and Leadership
  3. Is Assessment Regressivity Higher in Lower-Wealth Jurisdictions? Combs, A., Foster, J.M., & Troland, E.
  4. Fiscal Illusion Under the Cover of Property Tax Limits: School District Revenue Responses to a Reordering of Tax Levy Options Combs, A.
  5. From Public Labels to Private Resources: The Nonprofit Revenue Response to School District Fiscal Distress Labels Combs, A., & Kim, S.


Other

  1. State Subsidy Composition in Higher Education: Policy and Impacts Combs, A. Doctoral Dissertation, University of Kentucky (2018) Read Paper
  2. Does Kentucky’s Merit-Based Scholarship Program, KEES, Improve College Completion? Combs, A. MPA/MPP Capstone Project, University of Kentucky (2014) Read Paper