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HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolutions - 2015.07.29 - 21953MISCELLANEOUS RESOLUTION # 15209 BY: Commissioners Eileen KowaII, District #6; Shelley Taub, District #12; Jeff Matis, District #15; Robert Gosselin, District #11; Bob Hoffman, District #2; Wade Fleming, District #16; John Scott, District #5; Hugh Crawford, District #9 IN RE: BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS — REFORM "STRINGS ATTACHED" FEDERAL GRANTS TO STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS To the Oakland County Board of Commissioners Chairperson, Ladies and Gentlemen: WHEREAS the Congressional Budget Office stated in a recent report, "Federal grant programs provide a mechanism for federal policymakers to promote their priorities at the state and local levels by influencing the amount of money spent by state and local governments and the types of activities on which those governments spend their money"; and WHEREAS the purpose of "strings attached" federal grant programs is to subvert the Constitutional division of federal and state responsibilities, which is intended to prevent a concentration of power in a central government that could threaten individual liberties; and WHEREAS the process of sending revenues to Washington for the federal government to take a portion and then redistribute the funds is inefficient, creates a culture of dependence among the states, unfairly redistributes funds for political purposes and fosters a lack of accountability; and WHEREAS the Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations has identified many of the tactics used by the federal government to influence decision making at the state and local level such as: conditions on federal grants; mandates included in federal legislation; federal preemption of state laws; federal tax policies which affect state and local tax bases; regulatory actions taken by federal agencies; and federal exposure of state and local governments to liability lawsuits; and WHEREAS current federal grant policies place significant administrative and indirect costs on state and local governments, while fostering the inefficient use of tax dollars; and WHEREAS federal grants-in-aid have increased to over 1,100 separate programs, each with its own set of compliance costs and meant to influence decisions at the state and local level; and WHEREAS the direct cost of federal grants in-aid have skyrocketed, according to the federal budget, to an estimated $640.8 billion in 2015 from $24.1 billion in 1970; and WHEREAS federal grants now constitute over 30% of states' revenues and are often sought to "not leave any money on the table" or "to remain competitive" with neighboring states; and WHEREAS inefficiency and waste is fostered by a system of grant funding that requires numerous layers of government to administer, request and ensure compliance; and WHEREAS this cycle of dependence is growing the power and reach of the federal government and perverting the priorities of state and local governments; and WHEREAS state governments often pass through federal funds to local governments, extending the reach of federal policies and creating an incentive for local governments to fund non-priority programs/projects; and WHEREAS states and local governments are able to design and develop innovative, efficient and productive programs that meet the needs of the residents within their community and within the restraints of fiscal responsibility, and WHEREAS a recent study by the Pew Research Center demonstrates the increased confidence Americans have in state and local governments - the study found that favorable views of the federal government have fallen to a record low of 28%, while 67% percent of Americans have a favorable view of their state government and 63 % have a favorable view of their local government; and WHEREAS grants and financial assistance from the federal government must be transformed into block grants that allow autonomous management of programs, free from "strings attached" rules and inducements to increase local spending; and WHEREAS the State of Michigan and the County of Oakland should pursue a policy to resist the temptation to cede their authority to the federal government in exchange for grant funding; and WHEREAS the State of Michigan and the County of Oakland should make budget choices based local determined priorities and never fund programs/projects solely based upon the availability of federal grant funds; and NOW THEREFORE IT BE RESOLVED that the Oakland County Board of Commissioners calls upon the President and Members of Congress to transform federal grants to state and local government into block grants that provide broad authority for innovation and without financial incentives to alter local fiscal decisions. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Oakland County Board of Commissioners calls upon the Governor and Members of the State Legislature to budget based upon state priorities, not the availability of federal • C mrnjisioner Eileenewall District #6 Commissioner Jeff Matis District #15 ommisSioner District #2 CommiSioner John Scott Districe#5 aLkw, Commissioner Shelley Taub District4/2 Commissioner Wade lifephing District #16 7 ajm rar ".---- _A.;Hrrniirrnisoner District # Commissioner District # Commissioner Distric # IA Commissioner District # funds, and to turn away federal grants that cede powers granted to the states under the Constitution while advocating for the adoption of block grant reforms at the federal level. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that it is the sense of the Oakland County Board of Commissioners that the pursuit of federal and state grant dollars should be limited to priorities determined in the budgeting process. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that it is the sense of the Oakland County Board of Commissioners that grant programs should be avoided that require excessive administrative costs which significantly reduce the value of the funding to reach program objectives. Chairperson, I move the foregoing resolution. Commissioner Commissioner District # District # Commissioner Commissioner District # District # Commissioner Commissioner District # District # Commissioner Commissioner District # District # Commissioner Commissioner District # District # Commissioner Commissioner District # District # Resolution #15209 July 29, 2015 The Chairperson referred the resolution to the General Government Committee. There were no objections.