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NATIONAL MUNICIPAL POLICY

of the

AMERICAN MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION

The National Municipal Policy is the vehicle through which the 13,000 municipalities affiliated with the American Municipal Association move forward together toward the goal of better local government.

The policy sets forth the aims and purposes of municipalities. It suggests broad areas of responsibility for municipal, state and federal authorities on matters affecting localities.

Formulation and execution of national municipal policy is a democratic process. Starting in mid-summer each year, the membership is polled for policy suggestions. New and previously approved statements are then carefully reviewed by officials of member cities and state leagues of municipalities in 49 states, by special committees and finally by the resolutions committee. Those which are approved by the resolutions committee are submitted for consideration by the policy-making body which consists of the voting delegates to the annual American Municipal Congress.

Once adopted, the policy becomes the foundation around which municipal officials, acting through their state leagues of municipalities and the American Municipal Association, build their legislative action programs in city councils, state legislatures and the national Congress. It is being distributed to representatives of all levels of government and others to promote increased understanding and support for these programs which vitally affect the great majority of our people.

PATRICK HEALY, JR.
Executive Director

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A SUMMARY OF FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE

OBJECTIVES FOR 1961

(Details will be found in the complete statements following this summary.)

AIR POLLUTION CONTROL: Urges enactment of strengthened federal air pollution control legislation to provide greater federal assistance to state and local air pollution control agencies in developing control programs; to provide grantsin-aids for research, training, and demonstration projects; and to provide enforcement assistance when requested by state, interstate, intermunicipal or local government air pollution control agencies.

AIRPORTS: Continues to urge matching funds for a 5-year airport construction program with a $100 million annual authorization with funds to be available for at least 50% of all necessary improvements and facilities in both the landing area and terminal building area. Urges the rederal government to bear the financial responsibility for acquisition of land easements to remove obstructions to aviation outside airport boundaries if deemed necessary by federal authorities for aviation safety or aircraft noise abatement. AREA REDEVELOPMENT: Reasserts support for enactment of legislation similar to S. 722 of the 86th Congress providing technical assistance for economic analysis and planning community resource and industrial development; authorization of cooperative regional planning and development groups; loans for construction or rehabilitation of industrial plants; financial assistance for public facilities; vocational training and retraining for employees.

ATOMIC ENERGY: Urges the AEC to establish a clearing house of information on atomic energy and its impact on local communities immediately and to establish an Advisory Council of representatives of city, county, and state governments, of science, industry, and labor. Urges AEC and PHS to expand needed training programs. CENSUS: Urge the Congress to authorize the institution of a quinquennial census of population. Urge the Congress to provide adequate funds for the conduct of the Census of Governments at five year intervals as authorized by law.

CIVIL DEFENSE: Urges Congress to increase matching appropriations under Public Law 85-606.

Urge the Congress to continue laws which give to all civil defense agencies a high priority in procurement of such federal surplus properties as are necessary to the organization, maintenance

and operation of an effective civil defense and disaster program.

DISASTER INSURANCE: Urges development of a federal plan for natural disaster insurance.

Financing Municipalities and Taxation

Federal Tax Immunity: The constitutional immunity of state and local activities from federal taxation must continue intact without exception. Urges Congress to retain the statutory exemption of all state and local obligations and activities. Broaden Market for Municipal Bonds: Urge Congress to authorize commercial banks to underwrite revenue types of government securities and to enact legislation to permit regulated investment companies to distribute the interest on municipal bonds to their shareholders without loss of tax exemption.

Payments in Lieu of Taxes: Urge the Congress to adopt the recommendations of the Commission on Intergovernmental Relations and "inaugurate a broad system of payments in lieu of property taxes to state and local governments."

Taxation of Private Contractors Doing Work for Federal Government: Urge Congress to enact legislation to prohibit the operation of private contractors doing work for the federal government from being exempt from nondiscriminatory state and local taxes normally imposed on private persons engaged in substantially similar operations.

Tax Withholding: Provide for the withholding of municipal taxes at federal installations on the same basis as such taxes are withheld by private employers.

Special Assessments: Urge the enactment of legislation consenting to the assessment of federally owned property for special benefits.

HIGHWAYS: Continues to urge the prompt completion of the Interstate System with appropriate provision for urban areas in accordance with the clearly expressed intent of Congress in the 1956 Act. Favors enactment of legislation to establish a federal aid urban system of arterial streets in addition to the federal aid primary and interstate systems of highways in urban areas. Recommends state and federal legislation to authorize the

acquiring of rights of way previous to programming of street and highway projects and receive credit for the cost at any future date when such projects are finally programmed for federal-aid participation.

HOSPITAL CONSTRUCTION: In addition to continuing the Hill-Burton Program at the present authorization, urge that the Act be expanded or a new program be established to provide additional funds for the modernization and renovation of hospital facilities in urban areas.

HOUSING: Urge the Congress to strengthen the public housing program by (1) restoring the original authorization for the total number of units set forth in the 1949 Act and (2) make certain the program is adequate in size and scope to meet normal demands as well as peak demands of families displaced by urban renewal.

Congress is urged to initiate a housing program to make good homes available to middle Income families at costs they can afford, and if necessary to achieve this goal, provide for direct government loans for the program.

INTERNATIONAL MUNICIPAL COOPERATION:Urge the Congress to authorize and appropriate the funds needed to adequately staff the United States Information Agency posts so that they can carry on functions vitally needed to assist the People-to-People programs.

JUVENILE DELINQUENCY: Continues to support federal assistance to develop programs to combat juvenile delinquency and supports the establishment of a Youth Conservation Corps, as provided by S. 812 of the 86th Congress.

LIBRARIES: Extend the program of federal grants to rural library systems to cover metropolitan library systems.

MASS TRANSPORTATION: Urges enactment of a federal revolving loan program to at least the extent of $500 million for loans to municipalities or publicly constituted bodies for improving commuter equipment and facilities. Urges a program of grants-in-aid modeled on the present urban renewal program to be made available to communities which have a sound plan for the permanent improvement of commuter transportation. METROPOLITAN PROBLEMS: Urge the Congress to provide that financial assistance granted under federal aid programs be based on the total population served in an area rather than the population of the unit of government designated to perform the service. Recommends that state governments and the federal government seek means of facilitating voluntary organizations of local jurisdictions in metropolitan areas which extend across state lines.

PUBLIC WORKS: Congress is urged to develop federal legislation which will assist communities of all sizes particularly small communities in their efforts to provide adequate public facilities.

RADIO COMMUNICATIONS: Appointment of a radio study group similar to the 1944 Radio Technical Planning Board.

SOCIAL SECURITY: Extension of optional social security coverage to municipal police and firemen in all states.

SURPLUS FEDERAL PROPERTY: Urges sale to state and local governments of federal surplus property at private or negotiated sale.

URBAN RENEWAL: Urges enactment of a 10 year action program to restore central cities and provide for balanced suburban development. Urges the President to appoint an advisory committee with full representation of mayors and other municipal representatives to work with HHFA on a long-range study to improve national programs of slum clearance.

The Congress is urged to recognize the longterm needs of urban renewal and authorize a tenyear program with an annual authorization for capital grant reservation funds of six hundred million dollars a year.

Urges more relocation assistance for families and small businessmen.

URBAN PLANNING ASSISTANCE: The Congress is urged to appropriate adequate funds to carry out this important urban planning program.

URBAN RENEWAL RESEARCH: Urge the Congress to appropriate $200,000 to provide for the administration of the $5 million research program it has already approved and urge a continuing federally financed urban research program on a scale commensurate with the fine research program undertaken by the Bureau of Agricultural Economics.

URBAN POLICIES OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT: Urge the Congress to authorize the creation of a Department of Urban Affairs to be headed by an official of Cabinet rank and urge that the House of Representatives and the Senate create standing committees on Urban Affairs to deal with legislative matters affecting urban areas.

WATER RESOURCES AND POLLUTION CONTROL: Urges legislation to expand the 1956 Water Pollution Control Act to provide for comprehensive control of pollution on all surface, coastal and underground waters, expand research in waste treatment methods, increase the annual authorization from $50 million to $100 million and raise the percentage of the federal contribution to cover at least one-third of the project cost, permit joint-community projects with each to receive a grant based upon the prorata share of the project cost. Urges legislation to establish the river basin as the basic unit for the development and administration of water resources and provide for comprehensive development of water resources by the construction of maximum-use, multiple-purpose works.

1 AIR POLLUTION

Air pollution in our urban areas involves the emission of a broad variety of gases, fumes, and solids and is associated with many and diverse activities of our population. These pollutants resulting from our increasing industrialization and urbanization now pose a threat to the health of our people.

The full extent of the air pollution problem is unknown because enough measurements have not been made. It is estimated that 10,000 communities in the United States have air pollution problems. All of the nation's 215 metropolitan areas are affected, and in all, three-fourths of our total population is subjected to continuous or intermittent air pollution.

The acute lethal potential of air pollution has been demonstrated in Donora, Pennsylvania where 20 persons died and half the population were made ill. Other effects of air pollution range from irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat to more subtle and long-range physiological changes contributing to chronic illness or premature death.

Air pollution produces slums. Depreciation of land values alone due to air pollution has been

b. Provide assistance to state and local air pollution control agencies.

c. Collect, evaluate, and disseminate basic data and other information relating to the prevention and abatement of air pollution.

d. Provide enforcement assistance to be used when requested by any state. interstate, intermunicipal or lorsl government air pollution control agency.

e. Provide grants-in-aid to state and local government air pollution control agencies, and other public and private agencies and institutions, and to individuals, for surveys and studies and for research, training, and demonstration projects.

f. Encourage cooperative activities between state and local governments, including the enactment of interstate and intermunicipal legislation where necessary.

(2) Realistic appropriations are necessary to the suecess of an effective long-range air pollution program and must be commensurate with the magnitude of the prob. lems.

1-2. As the industry having primary responsibility for abatement of contaminants emitted by motor vehicles, the motor vehicle manufacturing industry of the United States is requested and implored to report with all possible dispatch to the nation, the states, and its cities concerning:

(1) Its constructive accomplishments to date in meeting this potential threat to the public health; and (2) Planned future efforts to meet and avoid or minimize it, and the time scheduling of such efforts.

estimated at over $200 million annually and de- 2 AREA REDEVELOPMENT

preciated values of buildings is several times this amount.

At the National Conference on Air Pollution in Washington in 1958, the cost of air pollution to every man, woman and child in the United States living in urban areas was estimated to be $65. On this basis, air pollution is costing the nation $7.5 billion annually.

Brief studies made thus far show that the menace of air pollution is far more extensive than has been previously realized.

We recognize that control of air pollution is a basic rsponsibility of state and local governments but the federal government must play an important part in the solution of this problem because of its national significance. The federal government has research resources available to it which the state and communities lack. It would be uneconomical and wasteful if each jurisdiction were to attempt to undertake such research.

There are numerous metropolitan areas which involve two or more states, and air pollution is not a respector of political lines of jurisdiction. The exercise of federal leadership to deal with such problems on a problem-area basis can provide the stimulation to recognize and solve the air pollution problem.

1-1. The American Municipal Association therefore urges the enactment of a long range Federal Air Pollution Control Program which would provide:

(1) Strengthened federal air pollution control legislation which would enable the U.S. Public Health Service to:

a. Cooperate with other federal agencies, state and local air pollution control agencies, and industries in the development of comprehensive air pollution control programs.

• Severe, chronic unemployment and underemployment in readily identifiable areas constitutes one of the gravest crises in America today. The cost, both to the national economy and in human misery, is incalculable. A comprehensive program of federal leadership and assistance in combination with local initiative and action must be accorded first priority by the Congress in 1961.

Unemployment throughout the nation now averages 6.4 percent of the labor force. Many economically depressed areas have had substantially higher unemployment for long periods. Others are in immediate danger of reaching such a condition.

In addition to the drain upon our domestic economy created by economically distressed communities, there are grave international implications for Am ca. Our rate of economic growth has fallen alarmingly below that of Soviet Russia. This trend must be reversed, and quickly, if this country is to meet the world wide competitive economic challenge from abroad. We must use our national resources, both human and capital, to the fullest.

In late 1960 more than 175 urban labor markets could be classified as chronically distressed. They contained 15 percent of the nation's work force, and 26 percent of the total unemployed.

In addition, at least 692 principally rural counties suffered chronic underemployment and grossly substandard levels of living.

The distressed urban areas contain tremendous complexes of plants and facilities representing huge public and private investments-$25,000 to

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