Poll says locals want more CDBG funding, no unfunded mandates
City officials most want the 110th Congress to increase funding for the Community Development Block Grant Program and not to put additional restrictions on local taxing authority, according to a recent poll by the Washington-based National League of Cities (NLC). The results of the poll were released during the NLC’s Congressional City Conference in Washington this week.
The Municipal Officials Opinion Poll showed that increased violent crime, traffic congestion, poor transportation infrastructure and immigration were top issues for city officials. On the other hand, poll respondents said they most wanted Congress to stay away from telecommunications and education regulations. “We want Congress to stop sending us new responsibilities without the money to implement them — what we call unfunded mandates,” NLC 1st Vice President Cynthia McCollum says. “Instead, we want to see increased local flexibility and a greater investment in infrastructure.”
Copies of the poll are available on the NLC Web site, www.nlc.org.