By Shannon Holmes
November 1, 2004

Over the past two years The U.S. Conference of Mayors has been involved in a partnership with the Annie E. Casey Foundation to focus attention on what activities mayors can do to help working families achieve economic success. The Conference has assisted mayors develop local outreach campaigns to increase the usage of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), a refundable tax credit available to working families and individuals earning low and moderate incomes.

The Conference is committed to ensuring that the importance of this program is recognized in cities across the country. "EITC lifts more families out of poverty than any other program the federal government offers, but it remains one of the most underutilized programs out there," Conference President Akron Mayor Donald L. Plusquellic stated.

This year eligible working families who file for EITC will receive an average of $1,900, and as much as $4,300. EITC is also good for the local economy. For every ETIC dollar returned, three dollars go back into the local economy.

Independent studies have found that across the country up to 25 percent of eligible workers and families fail to claim the EITC they have earned and thus lose out on money that could help become them more self sufficient. This money then also does not make it back into the local economy.

Plusquellic has also stressed the important roles that mayors have in promoting EITC. "As mayors, we have the unique role of being able to highlight the importance of this program and engage the involvement of local businesses and media in an outreach campaigns," he said.

Several cities across the country have developed models of effective EITC outreach and education campaigns including Boston, Chicago, Denver, Fort Collins, and Omaha. For more information about these models please contact Shannon Holmes at sholmes@usmayors.org or (202) 861-6728.

What mayors can do to promote EITC in their cities:

• Develop and or join existing community efforts around EITC education and outreach, free tax preparation services, and asset building opportunities;
• Encourage businesses within the community to become involved in the community EITC initiative and utilize and promote the EITC; and
• Inform constituents about EITC by providing the necessary information about ETIC and the location free tax preparations sites in the city on the city's website, in all city departments, and in the local One Stop Centers;

In the coming months, the Conference will provide information and tools to establish an EITC campaign in your city, or to expand an existing one. Assistance is also available to you from the staff at The U.S. Conference of Mayors and resources are available at http://usmayors.org/uscm/uscm_projects_services/workingfamilies.

To find out how many EITC claims are not being filed in your city please or if you have any questions, please contact U.S. Conference of Mayors staff members Joan Crigger at (202) 861-6726 or Shannon Holmes at (202) 861-6728.

Are you doing EITC in your City?

The United States Conference of Mayors would like to know about the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) programs that are occurring in your city. These examples will be used to share with other cities interested in beginning an EITC program. Please contact Shannon Holmes at sholmes@usmayors.org or (202) 861-6728 to share your city's EITC program or to obtain information about developing an EITC program.