Resolution 4288 - Laserfiche WebLink

A ‘44•14ETT RESOLUTION NO. 4288 A RESOLUTION opposing a House Appropriations Committee proposal calling for a$300 million reduction in the funding level for federal Community Development Block Grants. Whereas,the federal Community Development Block Grant(CDBG)program was established 21 years ago to assist local communities in addressing local needs,particularly those involving housing, human and social services,and other community services that provide critical assistance to low-income citizens and families; and Whereas,this program has been singled out both federally and locally as a program that works well and provides dollars directly to those who need it most; and Whereas,unlike some other federal programs,the CDBG program carries with it very low administrative and overhead costs--only 13 percent,for example, in Everett; and Whereas,the CDBG program is an excellent example of one that provides local flexibility, using federal dollars to help facilitate a solution and then allowing local communities to establish a process and decide how those funds should best be distributed to address the problems; and Whereas,this program also is an excellent example of a notion embraced by this Congress, namely that governments closest to the people are best equipped to serve those people; and Whereas,in Everett,there are a series of"success stories"which illustrate how seed funding through the CDBG program was combined with other monies to make a real difference in peoples' lives; and Whereas,cities across America,Everett in particular,understand and recognize the magnitude of the federal budget deficit and realize that cities already have sacrificed in absorbing federal cuts and will be asked to sacrifice further;and Whereas,a number of the cuts involving cities are and will be in the human and social service arena, making the CDBG program even more critically important; and Whereas,already-established cuts in the human/social service area will further burden local communities; and Whereas,this is especially true for cities such as Everett which have been impacted by sales tax exemption legislation at the local level that will result in millions of dollars in reduced revenues --at the very time that there is increased pressure upon the city to increase the amount of dollars it sets aside through its own"human needs"program; and Whereas,as Congress undergoes the very necessary process of setting budget and spending priorities, it will be important to determine how well a program has fared and whether it has served the people for whom it was designed; and