March 28, 2017Op-ed

The Hill: Time to recognize innovation in city governance

by Simone Brody

Local/ What Works Cities/ 2017/

President Trump’s recently released budget, promising dramatic cuts to domestic spending across the federal government, also targets precious funding for cities across the United States.

While this is just the start of the budget process, city leaders around the country and across parties have reason to be concerned about reduced funding for important social service programs — from the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program to the Appalachian Regional Commission — which drive real results in their communities.

With innovative programs to improve city governance are emerging in cities nationwide and producing meaningful results, now is not the time to pull federal support of some of the most significant and positive interventions in urban life. It is time, in fact, to invest.