1976-06-21 Regular Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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._ r~ U FrtLn IloFrrr:r:.~ ~Iarort June 14, 1976 Dear Mayor: OFFICE OF THE i~TAY0I3 CITY OF I30UST0'_~T Tr_~_~s As you know, Congress currently is debating the future of the General Revenue Sharing Program. I am proposing a resolution to the U.S. Conference of Mayors on the subject of general revenue sharing and other federal block grant programs. I would like your support for this resolution because I think it is especially important to all local officials in Texas. . Despite our state's growing population and growing needs, too often federal legislation is drawn up in a ~vay that leaves Texas out in the cold. The current method of allocating general revenue sharing funds is a perfect example. Because of the weighted formula now in use, local governments with high local tax rates unfairly benefit from the general revenue sharing program. The result is that local governments in Texas do not receive their fair share from the program. During the current entitlement period, for example, Texas governments received some $309 million in general revenue sharing money. Based on the percentage of the national • population that we represent, however, city and county governments in Texas actually were entitled to over $15 million more than we received during that entitlement period. This same inequity also occurs in the allocation of federal funds provided by the Comprehensive Employment Training Act and the Community Development. Act. The resolution I propose will put the U.S. Conference of Mayors on record opposing this inequity, and supporting the allocation of federal block grant funds solely on the basis of the most recently available accurate population statistics. I am sure you will agree that as long as federal block grant funds are being dispersed, Texas cities should receive their fair share. Otherwise, I believe our taxpayers are being cheated. . I hope you let your support of this resolution be known before I present it to the United • States Conference of Mayors on June 25 in Milwaukee. Sincerely, ~ . Fred Hofheinz