 National Association of Counties * Washington, D.C. Vol. 33, No. 21 * November 12, 2001 Previous story | Table of Contents | Next story LUCC sets new agenda for metropolitan counties By Shawn Bullard
With its leadership retreat originally scheduled in Oakland County, Mich. on Sept. 12–13, LUCC’s 23 steering committee members opted to condense their agenda into a nationwide conference call on Oct. 11, rather than reschedule the Michigan meeting. Following a short overview on past priorities and successes over the last 24 months, Wayne K. Curry, LUCC chairman and Prince George’s County, Md. executive, asked the caucus to specifically address key initiatives the majority felt would most directly affect the caucus in 2002. Of the dozen county executives, commissioners and supervisors on the call, Executive Bob Gaffney, Suffolk County, N.Y., strongly encouraged metropolitan county officials throughout the nation to take the lead on developing terrorism task forces similar to New York’s highly respected Joint Terrorism Task Force. “As a result of our proximity, Suffolk County not only gets a healthy dose of funding, but we also are provided with direct access to training that would otherwise cost the county a lot of money,” said Gaffney. “It is most important that we aggressively engage state domestic security directors to ensure we are at the table whenever discussing domestic security.” Caucus leaders voiced strong support for NACo’s Homeland Security Task Force, but also contended that caucus members should remain diligent in the areas of immigration, housing, health care, and the proposed federal stimulus package. “We are getting clobbered on illegal immigrate costs,” said Commissioner Tom Rutherford, Bernallillo County, N.M. “With much of the nation’s focus on terrorism, I’m afraid we are going to lose some serious ground and get even farther behind.” Commissioner Barbara Sheen Todd, Pinellas County, Fla., quickly agreed, “We know the federal government is going to shift its priorities and because of that we must protect our flanks.” “We should go after this issue (immigration costs) with a vengeance,” concluded Supervisor Don Stapley, Maricopa County, Ariz. and LUCC vice-chairman. Peter McLaughlin, chairman of NACo’s Community and Economic Development Committee and immediate past chairman of LUCC, strongly encouraged the caucus to expand its current efforts to solve the nation’s housing crisis. During 2001, home ownership has been LUCC’s top priority. “For many of us around the country, we’ve got to broaden our affordable housing agenda to not only purchasing, but to renting as well,” said McLaughlin, a Hennepin County (Minn.) Commissioner. “We’ve got to expand well beyond our current position.” Stressing a 1 percent local vacancy rate in Hennepin County, McLaughlin asked if other metropolitan counties were experiencing similar difficulties. Gaffney, as well as many others, said they were having great difficulty in meeting their communities housing needs. “We’ve never seen the pressure we have in our shelters today,” said Gaffney. “The housing stock just does not exist.” Recognized earlier this year for successfully hosting a NACo/LUCC Regional Meeting on Housing in Jefferson County, Ky., Executive Rebecca Jackson concluded that metropolitan county leaders must continue to push the issue before Congress and the Administration. Curry will present LUCC’s strategy for 2002 at NACo’s Board of Directors, fall board meeting in Santa Fe County, N.M. on Nov. 28–Dec. 1. The strategy will incorporate broad priorities to include reducing immigration costs, improving domestic security, stimulating economic development and increasing housing ownership and rental opportunities. |
Meeting by conference call exactly one month after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York City and Arlington County, Va., Large Urban County Caucus (LUCC) leaders decided to set a broad agenda for next year for America’s metropolitan counties.