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2010 Congressional City Conference
Key Issues
The 2010 Congressional City Conference will feature general sessions, workshops, and strategy meetings built around NLC’s advocacy priorities for the first session of the 112th Congress. Issue areas from 2009 are listed below. Watch the website for updates.
2009 Key Issues for the Federal Agenda
The Economy
The crisis in the nation’s financial markets is increasingly curtailing the ability of municipal governments – even those with AAA credit ratings – to borrow funds for ready-to-go projects to serve their citizens. Projects like roads, bridges, schools, hospitals, sewage treatment plants and libraries, the bedrocks of any community, are now at risk of being indefinitely delayed or cancelled because the cost of borrowing is too high. At the same time, housing foreclosures remain at an all-time high in many communities triggering a decline in property values and the property taxes that fund critical services for our citizens. In addition to economic stimulus packages and the $700 billion economic recovery plan, find out what additional steps the federal government might take to stabilize the economy and help local economies.
Transportation Financing
With the current authorization of the federal transportation funding program set to expire in 2009, Congress will embark upon an important debate over the future of our country’s national surface transportation plan. As part of this discussion, Congress will have to make decisions about how to address the shortfall in gas tax revenues for the Highway Trust Fund, how to repair and maintain the nation’s aging infrastructure, how to address concerns over the impact of transportation on the environment, and ways to ensure that the program meets local transportation and economic development goals.
Alternative Energy and Climate Change
Energy and environmental issues of concern to local governments continue to be an important congressional issue. Congress continues to discuss and debate and the specifics of a comprehensive energy package that would move this country toward greater energy independence. Renewable fuels standard, solar, wind and nuclear energy, tax credits for renewable energy production, elimination of oil and gas tax incentives, energy and environmental block grants for local governments and issues related to climate change will all be topics for this debate.
Immigration Reform
Uncertainty over federal immigration policy continues to impact cities and towns. Until comprehensive action is taken, communities will continue to face the challenges of immigration on their own. Faced with federal inaction, city leaders recognize that local governments cannot wait and are developing new strategies to take constructive action locally to manage growing immigrant populations.
Federal Funding for Local Activities
The federal budget continues to be under intense pressure due to war spending, the federal deficit, the economy, mandatory spending, and renewed emphasis on fiscal restraint. This means that federal programs important to cities and towns, including the Community Development Block Grant program, the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program, public safety, and transportation, will continue to be vulnerable to attack.
Housing and Neighborhood Stabilization
With mortgage foreclosures, predatory lending, inadequate financial literacy, and market volatility continuing to threaten family economic self-sufficiency, neighborhood stability and the national economy, Congress is continues to identify resources and mechanisms to preserve homeownership and stabilize neighborhoods, including stronger consumer education and protections and market interventions.
Telecommunications
Local government authority to offer municipal broadband services to citizens, to control rights of way, and to collect franchise fees and taxes remain under attack in federal regulatory and legislative arenas. Municipal officials must be knowledgeable about emerging technologies and be prepared to refute industry arguments that local governments are an impediment to competition.
Education Reform
Discussions are underway in Congress regarding education reform programs. An NLC Task Force has developed a set of recommendations for reforming K-12 and adult education programs to make them more responsive to the changing fiscal climate. Local government officials – many of whom have little control over schools but are often blamed when they fail – must be prepared to advocate for needed reforms and for the funding that will be required to meet educational program goals.
Public Safety
Public safety challenges both new and old, are forcing local governments to stretch their dollars farther than ever before. As cities across the country face severe budget shortfalls, a productive partnership that supports our first responders is more important than ever. Federal cooperation with local government is crucial in keeping police patrolling our communities
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