https://www.americancityandcounty.com/wp-content/themes/acc_child/assets/images/logo/footer-logo.png
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcast
  • Resources & Events
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • IWCE 2022
    • How to Contribute
    • Municipal Cost Index – Archive
    • Equipment Watch Page
    • American City & County Awards
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Privacy Statement
    • Terms of Service
American City and County
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcasts
  • Resources/Events
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers/eBooks
    • IWCE 2022
    • How to Contribute
    • American City & County Awards
    • Municipal Cost Index
    • Equipment Watch Page
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Stament
    • Terms of Service
  • newsletter
  • Administration
  • Economy & Finance
  • Procurement
  • Public Safety
  • Public Works & Utilities
  • Smart Cities & Technology
  • Magazine
acc.com


INSIDE WASHINGTON/Locals despair over domestic spending

INSIDE WASHINGTON/Locals despair over domestic spending

Next month, the House and Senate Budget Committees are expected to approve a 2004 budget resolution that closely resembles President Bush's budget blueprint,
  • Written by Mark Preston
  • 1st March 2003

Next month, the House and Senate Budget Committees are expected to approve a 2004 budget resolution that closely resembles President Bush’s budget blueprint, which calls for large cuts in domestic spending. Local government leaders say Bush’s budget does not address critical spending needs for social programs in a time when cities and counties are trying to cope with a sputtering economy.

Bush delivered his $2.23 trillion budget, which calls for increased defense spending, to Congress last month. The President’s goal to hold the line on domestic spending shifts an even greater financial burden back on city and county governments that are already struggling to absorb new homeland security expenses.

The President’s budgetary goals are not a surprise to local officials, as the administration copes with Iraq and the growing unrest abroad. But local leaders criticize the plan for failing to adequately fund critical domestic programs. “At a time when city budgets are severely pinched by the weak economy and significant homeland security investments, the President’s budget contains no general economic assistance for states and cities,” says Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, president of the Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Conference of Mayors.

While domestic funding has been held at current levels in many cases, in others, Bush has called for deep cuts, consolidation and elimination of some favored programs. For example, he proposes cutting the COPS program by 77 percent, from $738 million in fiscal year 2002 to $164 million in FY 2004. The program provides funding for local governments to hire new police officers and helps to pay for other law enforcement expenses. Bush wants to eliminate the hiring portion of the COPS program.

The President also asks Congress to combine the Local Law Enforcement Block Grant and the Byrne Formula Block Grant into a new Justice Assistance Grant Program. The administration then proposes funding the new block grant at $586 million, $414 million less than what the two programs were separately funded in 2002.

Even though several housing initiatives, including the HOME Investment Partnership, would receive funding increases, others are slated for extinction. Bush suggests eliminating HOPE VI, a distressed public housing program, and the Community Development Loan Guarantee, which funds economic development initiatives.

To draw attention to their plight, city and county leaders will aggressively lobby Congress this month to urge an increase in domestic spending above what the President seeks. The National Association of Counties and the National League of Cities (NLC), both Washington, D.C.-based organizations, as well as the U.S. Conference of Mayors are encouraging local lawmakers to contact their congressmen to lobby for increased domestic funding. NLC also will deploy local officials to Capitol Hill on March 11 as part of its City Lobby Day.

But lobbying Congress is not the only way in which local leaders are trying to fight the budget battle. NLC has released a detailed economic stimulus plan that it says would help jump-start the economy. The organization proposes a $145.5 billion stimulus plan that includes a $75.5 billion short-term stimulus package to boost consumer spending, a $50 billion stopgap measure to help states meet budget shortfalls and a $20 billion infrastructure investment plan.

Hoping to attract attention outside of Washington, D.C., the U.S. Conference of Mayors held an economic forum last month in Manchester, N.H., the site of the nation’s first presidential primary. Menino acknowledged the organization held the forum in New Hampshire because its voters are very influential with lawmakers interested in running for the White House.

The author is Washington correspondent for American City & County.

Tags:

Most Recent


  • Amid shifting workplace expectations, local government employers must adapt
    Constrained by inflexible budgets, local government employers can’t compete with the lucrative salaries offered in the private sector. And while recruitment has always been a challenge for public employers, the last two years have been especially difficult. From January 2020 to the same month this year, government organizations lost around 600,000 jobs—more than manufacturing, wholesale […]
  • Smart911 emergency profiles provide first responders with more information, faster
    Since the first full time fire department was established in Cincinnati in 1853, emergency responders have raced into unknown scenarios with limited advance information when the firehouse bell rings—until now. Among the many advancements of next-generation 911 dispatch systems, Smart911, an app developed by Rave Mobile Safety, automatically displays resident profiles during an emergency—including details […]
  • baseball
    Minor league baseball is helping cities hit a revitalization home run
    It’s that time of year again—the crack of the bat, the roar of the crowd when the home team hits a home run, not to mention the peanuts, Cracker Jacks and hot dogs! Nothing compares to the fun of gameday at the stadium, enjoying the national pastime of baseball. Some mid-sized cities have taken the […]
  • sustainable
    Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council can help governments get up to speed on sustainable buys
    The non-profit Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council (SPLC) has more than 180 organizational members with more than $300 billion in collective purchasing power. The SPLC’s procurement membership is nearly half public procurement entities, says Sarah O’Brien, the group’s CEO. “That sets us apart from many consulting and advisory groups. We have worked closely with a diverse […]

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your American City and County account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • NLC releases State of Cities 2021 report
  • How governments can keep employees safe as they return to work
  • Lessons from your friendly neighborhood public service employees
  • North Texas alliance partners with Marketplace.city on smart government solutions

White papers


The PIO’s Ultimate Guide to Social Media

16th May 2022

Gain Greater Visibility Into Your Public Works Fleet

16th May 2022

Arizona Arts Center Meets Rapid Deadline with Hundreds of Thousands in Savings

26th April 2022
view all

Events


PODCAST


Young Leaders Episode 4 – Cyril Jefferson – City Councilman, High Point, North Carolina

13th October 2020

Young Leaders Episode 3 – Shannon Hardin – City Council President, Columbus, Ohio

27th July 2020

Young Leaders Episode 2 – Christian Williams – Development Services Planner, Goodyear, Ariz.

1st July 2020
view all

Twitter


AmerCityCounty

Amid shifting workplace expectations, local government employers must adapt dlvr.it/SQm2RT

20th May 2022
AmerCityCounty

Smart911 emergency profiles provide first responders with more information, faster dlvr.it/SQh9gl

19th May 2022
AmerCityCounty

Minor league baseball is helping cities hit a revitalization home run dlvr.it/SQc5N4

18th May 2022
AmerCityCounty

Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council can help governments get up to speed on sustainable buys dlvr.it/SQbwqL

18th May 2022
AmerCityCounty

The MSP downstream cyberthreat paradox: Understanding the city and county connection dlvr.it/SQYVjs

17th May 2022
AmerCityCounty

Philanthropic group to launch assistance portal for local admins navigating federal bureaucracy dlvr.it/SQY16G

17th May 2022
AmerCityCounty

Report: Nearly 95 percent of America’s mayors face harassment, threats and violence dlvr.it/SQTn2z

16th May 2022
AmerCityCounty

The PIO’s Ultimate Guide to Social Media dlvr.it/SQTdCK

16th May 2022

Newsletters

Sign up for American City & County’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about local governments.

Resale Insights Dashboard

The Resale Insights Dashboard provides model-level data for the entire used equipment market to help you save time and money.

Municipal Cost Index

Updated monthly since 1978, our exclusive Municipal Cost Index shows the effects of inflation on the cost of providing municipal services

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital audience? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • IWCE’s Urgent Communications
  • IWCE Expo

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us

FOLLOW American City and County ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookies Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2022 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X