IN SUPPORT OF THE WHITE HOUSE “STRONG CITIES, STRONG COMMUNITIES” INITIATIVE

            WHEREAS, an absence of coordination between the federal government and units of local government, in some ways, are ineffective especially in regard to economic development; and

            WHEREAS, units of local government stand to benefit from greater access to federal agencies’ tools, resources, and expertise; and

            WHEREAS, the “Strong Cities, Strong Communities” (SC2) Initiative seeks to redefine that the relationship between the federal government and local governments; and

            WHEREAS, the SC2 Initiative aims to strengthen the capacity of local governments to develop and execute their economic vision and strategies with increased accessibility to these federal resources; and

            WHEREAS, the communities that participated in the pilot and first competitive round gained federal expertise and technical assistance from a council of advisors to develop comprehensive plans for community and economic development, and to align support for implementation of those strategies; and

            WHEREAS, the Administration indicated in a recent report, which assessed the accomplishments of the program on its first anniversary, that federal support has helped those communities to leverage more than approximately $345 million in existing federal funds for economic development purposes,

            NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors urges the continued support for the “Strong Cities, Strong Communities” Initiative that builds local capacity, reduces red-tape, and forges a more productive working relationship between federal and local government.