Midstate leaders tell Frist they don’t want grant cuts
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The meeting was attended by several county executives, along with UCHRA officials and McMinnville Mayor Royce Davenport.
Rogers began the meeting by addressing fellow officials and outlining the importance of federal grants to Warren County and the Upper Cumberland.
“We’ve had 13 projects in Warren County,” Rogers said. “Fire department grants, ambulance service, water lines, infrastructure that we have done in the county, that’s been $4 to $5 million. There’s no possible way, just like in your counties, that this county could ever have afforded to have done that.”
Rogers also emphasized the importance of CDBGs to create jobs.
“With the CDBG grants for local loans for industry that we’ve gotten in,” Rogers said, “Mayor Davenport and I have worked hard on trying to work with our Industrial Development Board to get these in, and this county alone has gotten over $3 million dollars to help in trying to get industry in and helping our local industries to expand.”
Rogers became concerned upon learning early this year Bush’s proposed 2006 budget would make drastic cuts in this program, which is part of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). According to a Washington Post article in January, congressional housing aides reported the $4.7 billion CDBG program could be cut as much as 50 percent.
Cities and communities across the nation have become dependent on HUD’s development programs, particularly the CDBG, which has been in existence for 30 years. Under Bush’s plan the CDBG program — which provides multipurpose development grants to state and local governments — would be sent to the Commerce Department.
“I know there was some talk about maybe moving this money from the development districts to Commerce, and Sen. Frist, with no disrespect, I’m totally against that,” Rogers said. “In our county, there’s no way we could operate without this money.”
Frist said he was glad to meet with community leaders, listen, and communicate their concerns to the legislative branch of the government.
“The real purpose is to have you tell me and give me information,” Frist said. “The only reason I’m here is to gather that information and take it back with me to the United States Senate, and to my office of leadership in the United States Senate, and to see that we get appropriate funding here. And also to report back on the good and positive things and examples that you tell me of that funding which encourages and gives feedback for ultimately more funding when people see how it’s actually being used.”
After hearing from county executives around the region, including those from Warren, Fentress, Cannon, Smith, Putnam and White counties, all of whom said CDBG grants were a vital part of providing infrastructure for their communities to grow, Frist said he is aware the importance of the CDBG program.
“I agree that there should not be a shift to the Commerce Department right now,” Frist said. “The administration made a very specific recommendation, but that will ultimately be decided in our House and in our Senate here in a few weeks, probably within two months, as we address the level of funding and the specifics of the formulas that are being used.
“But I think it’s very important that whatever we do, you have the security to know that you’re going to have a dependable funding stream so that you can plan for your communities and the infrastructure they need.”