September 29, 2003

On Wednesday, September 17 The U.S. Conference of Mayors released a new report entitled, "First Mayors' Report to the Nation: Tracking Federal Homeland Security Funds Sent to the 50 State Governments." The report, which reflects findings from a 50'state/168-city survey, was released in bi-coastal press conferences, with the New York City press conference led by Conference President James A. Garner of Hempstead, and the Los Angeles press conference led by Advisory Board Chair Beverly O'Neill of Long Beach and Los Angeles Mayor James K. Hahn.

During the recent Annual Meeting in Denver, it was announced that the Conference was launching a Homeland Security Monitoring Center to track the federal funding through the 50 states. This is the first report from the Center, with others to come. The Conference hopes that by releasing this information, it can move Congress and the Administration towards providing direct homeland security assistance to cities and first responders.

According to the findings, 90 percent of cities had not received funds from the largest federal homeland security program designed to assist first responders by August 1, which was the sub-allocation deadline. The report also found that over half of the cities have either not been consulted or have had no opportunity to influence state decision-making about how to use and distribute funding.

NYC Press Conference

"911 does not ring at the statehouse; it rings at city hall," said Conference President Hempstead Mayor James Garner. "Cities are the first to respond in a crisis, but last in line for funds. We need direct funds. We call on Congress and the Administration to help."

Joining Garner in New York City were Criminal and Social Justice Committee Chair J. Christian Bollwage of Elizabeth, Homeland Security Task Force Co-Chairs Martin O-Malley of Baltimore and David Wallace of Sugar Land, and Mayors and Police Chiefs Task Force Chair Scott King of Gary.

One month after 9/11, the Conference of Mayors came together in an emergency Summit and urged federal lawmakers to ensure that cities receive direct funding for homeland security; however, Congress and the Administration decided to funnel the money through states for first responders.

"Unfortunately, terrorists don't have to fill out forms in triplicate. Until this problem is resolved, we will continue to monitor the flow of money. Without direct funding to cities, I am afraid we could be facing homeland insecurity, " said Conference Executive Director Tom Cochran.

Cochran said mayors' concerns about state administration of federal homeland security funding are grounded in many cities' past experience with their states in other areas of public service delivery. A particular concern was that states would not be providing the specific resources — including technology and equipment — that mayors know are most needed in their individual cities to meet their greatly increased security responsibilities.

The report was sent to Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge and the Congressional leadership prior to release, with the hope it would help convince them to change the distribution formula.

Los Angeles Press Conference

In Los Angeles, the survey was released in conjunction with the city's first Homeland Security Leadership Summit in which mayors, economists, and security, public safety, public health, and communications experts gathered for two days of briefings on key issues and exchanges of information on the status of homeland security initiatives. Los Angeles Mayor Jim Hahn, the convener of the Summit, said one of his reasons for bringing the group together was "to send a message to Congress that local governments across the country are willing partners in the effort to secure the homeland." Hahn also chairs the Conference Task Force in Aviation Security.

In the press conference to release the survey, O'Neill described the Conference of Mayors' efforts to secure direct federal funding of local homeland security programs in the days immediately following the September 11 attacks on the nation, and the fact that the funding mechanisms produced in Washington nearly a year-and-a-half later "gave us a federal system for the distribution of homeland security funds that generally operates through the states."

Following her summary of the findings of the survey, O'Neill stressed, "The goal is to share these findings with the Department of Homeland Security and those in Congress who have worked to make the system work for first responders and those they protect on a daily basis."

A number of California mayors joined Hahn and O'Neill for the release of the survey report — including Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown, San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales and Glendale Mayor Frank Quintero — each describing for reporters how the key survey findings were manifesting themselves in their cities, and each reiterating the need for more federal funding and a direct funding mechanism.

Gonzales said that while his city had incurred $25 million in homeland security costs, it had received less than $1 million in federal aid. Gonzales laid much of the blame for this on the system that sends the federal funds to Santa Clara County, and on the County's failure to fund his city in proportion to its population and need.

Joining the mayors in the press conference, Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton said the city had used its own funds to purchase 4,000 protective suits for HAZMAT personnel. Had Los Angeles relied on federal funding for this, he said, "We would still be waiting for the money."

Highlights from the report as well as the foreword are contained in USMAYOR. The complete analysis is available at usmayors.org.