1411RESOLUTION NO. ~ y I ~
WHEREAS, Unfunded federal mandates on state and local governments
have increased significantly in recent years;
WHEREAS, federal mandates require cities and towns to perform
duties without consideration of local circumstances, costs, or
capacity, and subject municipalities to civil or criminal penal-
ties for noncompliance;
WHEREAS, federal mandates require compliance regardless of other
pressing local needs and priorities affecting the health, wel-
fare, and safety of municipal citizens;
~: WHEREAS, excessive federal burdens on local governments force
some combination of higher local taxes and fees and/or reduced
local services on citizens and local taxpayers;
WHEREAS, federal mandates are too often inflexible,
one-size-fits-all requirements that impose unrealistic time
frames and specify procedures or facilities where less costly
alternatives might be just as effective;
WHEREAS, existing mandates impose harsh pressures on local budg-
ets and the federal government has imposed a freeze upon funding
to help compensate for any new mandates;
WHEREAS, the cumulative impact of these legislative and regulato-
ry actions directly affect the citizens of our cities and towns;
and
WHEREAS, the National League of Cities, following up on last
year's successful effort, is continuing its national public
education campaign to help citizens understand and then reduce
the burden and inflexibility of unfunded mandates, including a
National Unfunded Mandates Week, October 24-30, 1994;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the city of West Memphis
endorses the efforts of the National League of Cities and sup-
ports working with NLC to fully inform our citizens about the
impact of federal mandates on our government and the pocketbooks
of our citizens;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the city of West Memphis endorses
organizing and participating in events during the week of October
24-30, 1994; and finally
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the city of West Memphis resolves to
continue our efforts to work with members of our Congressional
delegation to educate them about the impact of federal mandates
and actions necessary to reduce their burden on our citizens.
ADOPTED this ~.~ ~ day of Dc.-~-obe.r , 1994.
ATTEST: ith M. Ingram, yor
RECEIVED
CITY CLERK OFFICE
Dan Craf 1 rk
DATE. / p _ ~ l.~,...q~~,