Official Publication of the National League of Cities OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES
NATION’S CITIES WEEKLY
VOLUME 34, NUMBER 28 | JULY 18, 2011

IN THIS ISSUE
www.nlc.org
PAGE 3

PAGE 3
Unique Program Supports Colorado’s
Growing Businesses
PAGE 4
NBC-LEO to Focus on Leadership
Development at Summer Conference
PAGE 5
Local Government Leaders: Creating a
Sustainable Future

NLC Board Focuses on Federal Deficit and Local
Actions in Face of Tight City Budgets

NLC Budget for FY 2012 Approved; Census Data to be Applied to City Dues
by Amy Elsbree
The possible implications for cities
and towns of the ongoing efforts in
Washington, D.C., to address the federal
deficit and raise the debt ceiling were
the central focus of the NLC Board of
Directors as it met in Charlotte, N.C.
Board members also discussed how local
leaders are managing strategically and
finding solutions to address tight budgets
in the current uncertain economic times.

NLC’s officers led last week’s Board of Directors meeting in Charlotte, N.C. Left to right: Immediate
Past President Ronald O. Loveridge; First Vice President Ted Ellis; Second Vice President Marie
Lopez Rogers; and President James E. Mitchell Jr.
in cities and support employment in
both the public and private sector.
Mitchell stressed, “As Congress and
the Administration negotiate strategies
to reduce the federal deficit, they must
also protect investments that provide a
foundation for future growth. Now more
than ever, our nation’s leaders must rec-
ognize that budget cuts should not overly
impact the already dire economic chal-
lenges facing our communities.”
Reports to the Board from the chairs of
NLC’s policy committees provided updates
on the many advocacy efforts underway by
NLC and city leaders to ensure that the
Community Development Block Grant
(CDBG) program remains a priority in
the appropriations process and that fed-
eral legislators keep moving forward with a
transportation reauthorization bill.

In a discussion regarding federal trans-
portation policy, the Board acknowledged
that, while there has been some progress
on drafting legislation for new highway
programs in the House and Senate, both
efforts fall short of the transportation part-
nership cities envision with the federal gov-
ernment and do not address concerns with
funding levels that are inadequate to meet
the nation’s infrastructure needs.
In other business, the Board began a
discussion about the 2012 federal election
cycle and to consider and shape NLC’s
role in it, including how best to raise
the profile of issues important to cities.
As background for the discussion, Board
members heard commentary on the
national political landscape as the 2012
election year approaches. John N. Davis,
a political analyst, writer and consultant
who has followed North Carolina politics
for 25 years, offered his perspective on
election strategy in North Carolina poli-
tics as an example of what will be taking
place across the country next year.
As part of its fiduciary role as leaders

see page 6, column 1
House Appropriators Propose Eliminating
COPS Program

by Mitchel Herckis

Newspaper Handling

Last week, the House of
Representatives Appropriations
Committee approved a 2012
Commerce, Justice, and Science
Appropriations bill that would elimi-
nate the Community Oriented Policing
Services (COPS) Office and virtually
all its programs. Further, the spending
bill would make drastic cuts to Byrne
Justice Assistance Grants (Byrne JAG),
the Second Chance Act and Juvenile
Justice Grants.
While the committee agreed to an
amendment by Rep. Steve Rothman
(D-N.J.) to restore $10 million in funds
for the COPS Secure Our Schools pro-
gram, they rejected an amendment by
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) that would
restore funding for the COPS Office
and the COPS Hiring Program (CHP)
by reducing funding for the Bureau of
Prisons. The committee also rejected
another by Rothman that would pro-
vide $85 million for COPS Technology
Grants.