Agenda - Council - 01/08/1980 - Laserfiche WebLink

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If your city is like most cities, General Revenue Sharing and Community Devel- merit Block Grants are yew important to I. You shouhl come to Washington this to let Congn'css and the White House know that both programs are high on your list of priorities. General Revenue Sharing and Com- munity Development Block Grants a~ high on any list of priorities fur America's cities, and they will be among 1980's most contro- versial urban issues. The reason is simple. Together, the General Revenue Sharing Program and HUD's Community I)evelopment Block Grant Program funnel nearly $11 billion to state and local governments each year. But 1980 could be the last year: both programs Mll expire on September 30, unless Con- gress reauthorizes them. Reenactment of Genera] Revenue Sharing won't be easy. The past year ht determined efforts in Congress to the program by eliminating or eut- g state funds, and state participation will be a controversial issue in next year's de- bate. And two other basic issues--the over- all funding level for the program and the distribution formula--will be just ~ hotly debated in 1980. The Congressional-City Conference will help prepare city officials for that de- bate. General sessions at the conference will be devoted completely to General Revenue Sharing, and every issue, fi'om the adminis- tration's proposal for reenactment to the mood in Congress, will be explored. Reenactment of the Community De- velopment Block Grant Program will raise its ox~m difficult issues. The level of funding fro' the program, the dual fmxnula used for distributing funds, and a larger share for small cities Mil be among the issues to be debated in Congq~ss--and discussed in ad- vance at an important Congressional-City Conference workshop. Important as they are, however, Gen- eral Revenue Sharing and Community De- velopment Block Grants are only two among several pieces of business that will occupy Congress in 1980. The Congressional-City Conference MIl offer information and opin- ions on several issues of continuing im- portance to cities. THE PRESIDENT'S BUDGE~. For the second year in a row, federal aid to local governments is expected to be reduced in the president's budget. A workshop will explore how this reduction will affect cities in fiscal 1981 and in subsequent years. LOCAL ENERGY CONSERVATION PROGRAMS: In 1980, Congress will eon- sider a variety of bills intended to give cities a major role in the national effort to con- serve energy and reduce oil imports. A workshop will outline the programs and the support for them that each proposal would offer. YOUTH EMPLOYMENT, TRAIN- ING AND DELINQUENCY: The youth employment and training portions of the CETA programs and the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act both ex- pire on September 30,1980. A workshop will define the role cities can take in making these important programs meet the needs of today's young people. MUNICIPAL FINANCE: Three im- portant £mancial issues--the use of mort- gage revenue bonds, commercial under- writing of revenue bonds and Treasury regulations that unduly restrict municipal borrowing procedures--will come before Congress in 1980. A workshop will describe the various bills and explain what is at stake for cities in each of them. Each workshop will present adminis- tration and congressional officials and other experts who will describe pending legisla- tion, identify key issues and show city offi- rials how they can help shape the decisions that shape our cities. MAKING NATIONAL MUNICIPAL POLICY: The Congressional-City Confer- ence is also an opportunity to take part in the making of NLC's National Municipal Policy--the statement that guides the ac- tions of the national staff as they advocate your city's interests during the course of the year. NLC has a unique commitment to de- veloping policy positions that are truly rep- resentative of the entire membership. That process begins at the Congressional-Ci~y Conference with a full day of policy commit- tee meetings that are open to all registored city official delegates. Morning seminars will review major federal policy issues of importance to dries. Afternoon committee business meetings will focus on setting a work agenda for NLC policy development during 1980. Every city official who comes to the conference can join in the policy proc- ess and can have a hand in · shaping the 1980 policy agenda. To partidpate, all you have to do is attend and state your views in the open sessions. lfour city will be the loser if these important protgatm expire.