PLATFORM/CDBG funding
President Bush’s proposed fiscal year (FY) 2006 budget calls for combining the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and 17 other direct grant programs. The administration’s “Strengthening American Communities Initiative” has proposed funding of $3.71 billion, almost $1 billion less than the CDBG FY 2005 budget alone. American City & County asked readers of its weekly e-mail newsletter to share their opinions on the grant changes. Below are some of the responses:
“This will devastate small communities such as Framingham, Mass., with a population of 67,000. We are deeply dependent on this formula grant and do outstanding projects with this money. Housing rehabilitation and downtown revitalization efforts are our primary functions. We also use the community services portion to the maximum allowed under current regulations.”
— Kathleen Bartolini, Director, Framingham, Mass., Planning & Economic Development Department
“If there are 18 separate and distinct grant programs, then that means there are 18 administrative bodies for oversight. Consolidating the programs to exist under fewer umbrellas will result in less overhead and more productivity and benefit for the tax dollars invested. I urge President Bush to continue with this plan’s implementation, and I also urge Congress to facilitate this process.”
— David Sikes, Chairman, Elmore County, Ala., Economic Development Authority
“With new efficiencies, this should help administration costs, and we all need to help control spending. It is very hard to criticize spending and then continue to ask for money.”
— Steven Svec, General Manager, Chillicothe, Mo., Municipal Utilities
“Our city relies on CDBG monies to rehabilitate deteriorating neighborhoods. We can ill-afford a $1 billion decrease in the nationwide funding of this program. Cities across the nation are continually being asked to do more with less, and we simply cannot continue down this path and expect the cities to prosper and provide the services that the citizens expect. I am not supportive of President Bush’s proposal.”
— Susan Vavroch, Treasurer, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
