Official Publication of the National League of Cities OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES

NATION’S CITIES WEEKLY

Volume 35, Number 7 | February 20, 2012

IN THIS ISSUE
www.nlc.org
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NLC Member Councils Finalize Agendas for Washington Conference

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NLC’s City Showcase Honors Diverse, Groundbreaking City Family Programs

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$2.1 Million in Grants Available Through Playful City USA

Hometown Priorities Get Support in President’s 2013 Budget

by Federal Relations Staff
Last week, President Barack
Obama unveiled his fourth
federal budget proposal, a $3.8
trillion proposal that, among
other things, would provide
$50 billion for immediate
transportation investments,
$30 billion to modernize
schools, $30 billion to hire
teachers and first responders
and $2.9 billion to support
workforce development train-
ing programs.

“The partisan bickering and political games-
manship must come to an end. Cities all over
this nation put aside their party differences
and pass budgets all the time. We expect the
same from Washington.”
— NLC President Ted Ellis, mayor of Bluffton, Ind.

is important that Congress and the Administration continue to tackle the budget deficit, they also must still focus on creating an environment for private sector growth on the local level.” The President’s proposal is a step in that direction, calling for $476 billion over six years for highways and mass transit, as well as initiatives that would enhance start-up access to credit, promote entrepreneurship and cut taxes for small businesses.

However, the President’s
budget only signals the begin-
ning of the debate over spend-
ing for the next fiscal year,
which begins on October 1,
2012. As Congress looks to
push its own priorities, Ellis
stressed that what the American
public demands are results, not
partisanship.

Transportation
approach similar to that in
the Administration’s jobs plan
released last year.

Beyond the immediate infusion of funds, the budget proposes: $305 billion for highways and $108 billion for transit, which improves the current 80-20 split to 75-25; $47 billion for rail re-invest-ment, with a continued focus on intercity and high-speed passenger rail; $3.4 billion (approximately $600 million per year) for National Infrastructure Investments, supporting discretionary grant programs like the TIGER grants; and $3 billion ($500 million per year) for the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act, a fourfold increase over current levels but only half of what the House and Senate suggest per year.

The President’s budget also proposes that two new accounts be added to the Highway Trust Fund: one for transit and another for national infrastructure investments.

The President’s transporta-
tion budget request propos-
es an overall investment of
$476 billion in transportation
programs over six years and
includes funding for several
NLC priorities, such as invest-
ment in public transportation,
maintenance of existing infra-
structure and bridge repairs.
Expansion of these programs
would be funded through
cost savings from the war in
Afghanistan.

see page 8, column 1
Cities Promote Tax-Time Saving With EITC
Outreach Strategies

by Tim Mudd

Newspaper Handling

Cities across the country are partner-ing with community organizations this tax season to raise awareness about the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), one of the nation’s largest anti-poverty programs. The EITC is a refundable tax credit that provides a yearly boost to family finances for low- and moderate-income wage earners. Last year alone, more than 26 million workers received nearly $59 billion in EITC refunds.

As in years past, millions of workers
qualify for the EITC this year, but as
many as one in four may fail to claim
the credit because they are unaware of
their eligibility. In an effort to reduce
the number of families who miss out on
this tax credit and the chance to attract
untapped federal dollars into their local
economies, municipal leaders are once
again implementing targeted outreach
strategies, hosting events and providing
opportunities for free tax preparation
services through Volunteer Income Tax
Assistance (VITA) sites.

Implementing Targeted
Outreach Efforts

Under the leadership of Mayor
Gregory Ballard, the City of
Indianapolis takes free tax preparation
services directly to residents at more
than 40 locations through its partner-
ships with community organizations,
corporations and educational institu-
tions. Using VITA-certified volunteers,
Indy’s Campaign for Financial Fitness
(ICFF) assists more than 5,000 individ-
uals and families in claiming the EITC.