Associations want next U.S. president to prioritize federal-state-local partnerships
Leaders of the “Big 7” national local government associations met in Philadelphia Monday to issue a call for the next president of the United States to prioritize federal-state-local partnerships. In a statement, the presidents of the National League of Cities (NLC), National Association of Counties (NACo), International City/County Management Association (ICMA), National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and the Council of State Governments (CSG), all based in Washington, laid out two guiding principles for achieving that objective.
“The first is to consult and cooperate with state and local leaders [on issues and policies],” the statement reads. “We are on the frontlines every day, and know the effect of national policies and programs on the delivery of services to our citizens.” The second guideline is to “promote innovation at the state and local level” because local leaders can “respond more quickly and experiment more widely than our federal partners.”
The Big 7 went on to request that the next president take the following steps within 60 days of assuming the office: reaffirm the Executive Order on Federalism; establish an Office of Intergovernmental Affairs within the White House to serve as a federal-local liaison; and meet with members of the Big 7 to discuss the partnership.