DEADLINE ON GRS, NLC ACTIVATES
GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGN
Reprinted from Nation's Cities Weekly January 27, 1986

By LINDA R. WOODHOUSE

February 25 is the first key deadline in the crucial battle to save General Revenue Sharing.

By that date, authorizing committees on Capitol Hill must send program reauthorization recommendations and budget estimates for Fiscal Year 1987 to the House and Senate Budget Committees. GRS must be included if it is to move forward for reauthorization.

Authorizing committees handling GRS are the Senate Finance Committee and the House Government Operations Committee. (See The Weekly of Jan. 20 for a listing of committee members.)

Close on the heels of the February 25 deadline will come another crucial date, April 15, the deadline for Congress to complete action on their FY 1987 budget resolution.

Again, General Revenue Sharing must be included in the budget resolution in order to be funded for 1987.

"If there ever has been a time for city officials and friends of cities to join in the fight for essential urban programs such as GRS, it is now," NLC Executive Director Alan Beals said. He termed these early days of 1986 as "crucial" for cities, following "one of the most difficult years for municipalities in history."

Responding to the new compacted budget process mandated by the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings law. The National League of Cities at the first of the year mailed to the mayors of its 1,300 direct member cities and to all state municipal league directors a packet of information and a general revenue sharing survey that are key to convincing Congress to continue funding for domestic programs.

Please complete and return the GRS survey immediately, if you have not already done so.

In addition, every state municipal league recently received two videotapes prepared by NLC. The tapes feature two detailed presentations by NLC Federal Relations Director Frank Shafroth — one on the impact of Gramm-Rudman and the budget process (24 minutes), and one on the impact of federal tax legislation passed by the House and pending in the Senate (40 minutes).

The videotapes, the packet and the cover letter from Beals contain detailed information and ideas so your city can lend active help in organizing the grassroots fight in your community to save General Revenue Sharing, to fend off the effects of Gramm-Rudman and to preserve CDBG, UDAG, transit funding, housing assistance and other essential city programs.

"Already, two state Leagues — Pennsylvainia and Maine — have set up emergency action meetings to mobilize the forces in their states as part of a grassroots effort to save these programs. I strongly urge other state leagues to follow suit," Beals said.

In addition, Beals recommended these four steps cities can take:

• Issue a state of the city address to alert citizens to the potential impact on local taxpayers of the federal budget cuts;

• Conduct an extensive campaign, including citizen meetings and contacts with the local media, to inform the public of the choices forced upon the local level by the federal proposals;

• Send a letter to all your city employees advising them of the federal issues that might affect their job status, salaries, pensions and benefits;

• Talk to members of your congressional delegation, in person if possible. Ask for a detailed analysis of how revenue sent from your city to Washington is shared with your community, the impact of federal mandates on your local budget and taxpayers, and the impact of proposed tax bills on your city's authority to raise revenue. Ask for a specific statement pledging support for reauthorization of GRS. Ask for a commitment of strong, visible support for any local tax increase you will

February 1986 / Illinois Municipal Review / Page 9

be required to seek in response to the pending federal proposals.

"We face a long and difficult year," Beals said. "It will be a year in which I believe you will have to represent your constituents not just at the local and state levels, but also at the federal level. We will have to make our voices heard."

For a copy of the information packet contact the Office of Federal Relations at 202-626-3020. To order the videotapes, see the advertisement in the January 27 issue of The Weekly. The tapes are available for $25 each or both for $40. •

Page 10 / Illinois Municipal Review / Febuary 1986