NACo DRIVES MESSAGE HOME DURING NATIONAL COMING SOON? SHARING RANSOMEWARE IS INFRASTRUCTURE WEEK THE SIDEWALKS WITH TERRIBLE, AND PG. 4 ROBOTS PG. 6 PREVENTABLE. PG. 9 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION of COUNTIES VOL. 49, NO. 11 MAY 29, 2017 ANALYSIS More fronts Trump budget open in the weighs in at $4.1 trillion war against President Trump’s FY18 opioids budget released May 23 out- By Charlie Ban lines the administration’s senior staff writer $4.1 trillion spending propos- al, with discretionary spend- Counties are continuing ing levels set at $1.151 trillion to grapple with the widening and mandatory spending scope of the opioid drug epi- levels at $2.943 trillion. The demic. discretionary spending lim- Another county has filed suit its adhere to the budget caps against a pharmaceutical com- set in the Budget Control Act pany that marketed painkillers, (P.L. 112-25). while King County continues The $1.151 trillion in discre- to search for locations for its The Western Interstate Region’s (WIR) executive team, elected May 26, takes center stage in tionary spending includes $54 Deschutes County, Ore., site of the 2017 WIR Annual Conference. Pictured (l-r): Second Vice Presi- safe injection sites. Meanwhile, billion in increased spend- dent Kevin Cann, Mariposa County, Calif. supervisor; First Vice President Tommie Cline Martin, Gila a synthetic drug is raising the ing on national defense, with County, Ariz. supervisor; President Joel Bousman, Sublette County, Wyo. commissioner; and Imme- See LAWSUITS page 3 equal reductions in non-de- diate Past President Gordon Cruickshank, Valley County, Idaho commissioner. Photo by Charlie Ban fense discretionary spending. The budget also includes sev- eral proposed changes that Ryan launches new bipartisan Task would reduce spending on mandatory items. Force on Intergovernmental Affairs See BUDGET page 2 By Zachary George ernments at the federal level Rep. Jenniffer González-Colón 4) Developing proposals to legislative assistant (known as the Big 7) – the Na- (R-P.R.); Rep. Richard Neal partner with and empower tional Governors Association, (D-Mass.); Rep. Raúl Grijalva states, tribes, local govern- Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) National Association of Coun- (D-Ariz.); Rep. Gerry Connol- ments, private institutions, and Democratic Leader Nan- ties, National League of Cities, ly (D-Va.); Rep. Norma Tor- families and individuals; and cy Pelosi (D-Calif.) have an- U.S. Conference of Mayors, In- res (D-Calif.); Rep. Anthony 5) Examining the extent nounced the creation of the ternational City/County Man- Brown (D-Md.); and Rep. to which the burdens shared bipartisan Task Force on Inter- agement Association, National Charlie Crist (D-Fla.). The task among states, tribes and local governmental Affairs. Conference of State Legisla- force is charged with: governments may be re-allo- “The Task Force on Intergov- tures and the Council of State 1) Partnering with states, cated to improve the quality of ernmental Affairs will study Governments – will serve as an tribes and local governments life in all communities. ways to restore the proper advisory council. to balance the interests of gov- The announcement came balance of power between the Six Republicans and six ernments on the heels of Infrastructure federal government and states, Democrats will serve on the 2) Providing a forum for Week, during which state tribal and local governments, task force chaired by Rep. Rob states, cities, and counties to and local leaders met with and eliminate unnecessary Bishop (R-Utah). Members showcase their innovation and congressional lawmakers to regulatory burdens facing are: Rep. Gary Palmer (R-Ala.); creativity in solving public pol- highlight the importance of communities across the na- Rep. Luke Messer (R-Ind.); icy problems a strong federal-state-local tion,” Ryan said. Rep. Mark Walker (R-N.C.); 3) Examining the effects of partnership in addressing The seven organizations that Rep. John Culberson (R-Tex- federal rules and regulations the nation’s infrastructure represent state and local gov- as); Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.); on state and local partners. needs. 2 MAY 29, 2017 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION of COUNTIES COUNTY NEWS Trump budget proposes realignment of federal spending From BUDGET page 1 Protection Agency (30 per- economic growth on the bud- chance Congress will pass it cent); Department of Agricul- get, claiming it will both offset without significant revisions. Among the most significant ture (21 percent); the Depart- America’s counties lower tax rates and help pay Each year, the president cuts made under the budget ment of Labor (20 percent); are concerned down the deficit. submits a budget proposal proposal is a major revision Department of Commerce that this proposed Governmental responsibil- to Congress, which begins of the Medicaid program that (15 percent); Department of ities are shared among fed- the annual appropriations would institute block grants Transportation (17 percent); budget largely eral, state and local partners, process. Upon receiving this or a per-capita cap on fed- and the Department of Hous- abdicates the as they are the fundamental request, the House and Sen- eral Medicaid expenditures. ing and Urban Development federal role in the components of a broader na- ate Budget Committees are This proposal would reduce (12 percent cut). tional interest in serving the charged with developing and the federal government’s federal-state-local country’s citizens. The na- reporting a budget resolu- contribution to the program County programs intergovernmental tion’s 3,069 counties play a key tion to set the total amount of by roughly $600 billion over would be hit partnership that role in administering federal money congressional Appro- the next decade. The House’s Certain programs on which programs and services with- priations Committees may AHCA bill would also cut counties and their residents is essential to in their local communities, spend during the fiscal year. Medicaid by another $800 bil- rely would also be reduced or addressing the including building and main- The committees must then lion. eliminated. The Communi- nation’s most taining public infrastructure, complete 12 individual ap- Other reductions include ty Development Block Grant providing law enforcement propriations measures to al- major cuts to several federal (CDBG), which helps coun- pressing and public safety services and locate money to each federal agencies: the Environmental ties improve economic devel- challenges. protecting the public’s health agency and program, which, opment and small business and well-being. While the if passed, are signed by the growth, would be eliminated. policies and programs estab- president and enacted into Likewise, the HOME In- Security (7 percent) and the lished by the federal govern- law. vestment Program, which Department of Veterans Af- ment are intended to guide However, in recent years, as helps low-income individu- fairs (6 percent). and coordinate efforts, coun- battles over federal spending als obtain housing, would be The administration touts ties often are the implement- have intensified, Congress eliminated. Also eliminated the proposal as one that will ers, and even co-regulators, at has been unable to enact are USDA grants to expand reduce deficits and lead to a the local level. stand-alone appropriations broadband access to rural ar- balanced federal budget, pro- America’s counties are bills through the regular ap- eas, the TIGER transportation jecting a small budget surplus concerned that this pro- propriations process, instead grant program, and programs by 2027. The White House posed budget largely abdi- relying on omnibus measures, to provide heating and ener- banks on significant econom- cates the federal role in the which combine all 12 bills, or gy assistance to low-income ic growth generated by sever- federal-state-local intergov- continuing resolutions that SNAP STATS families. al policy changes in the bud- ernmental partnership that fund the government at pri- TOP PUBLIC Other programs that are get proposal, including the is essential to addressing or-year levels. It remains to be LIBRARIES priorities for counties would suggested reductions in dis- the nation’s most pressing seen if Congress will be forced be reduced, including a $68 cretionary federal spending. challenges. The scale of the to take the same approach Los Angeles County million cut to the Payments in In calculating the econom- proposed discretionary and this year, or if they will suc- King County, Wash. Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program ic growth and revenue pro- mandatory cuts would far ceed in returning to “regular Hamilton County, Ohio and reductions in multiple jections, the White House outpace the ability of state order” and passing each ap- Maricopa County, Ariz. programs that provide grants assumes comprehensive tax and local governments to propriations bill individually. Cuyahoga County, Ohio for local law enforcement. reform will be completed, backfill this funding and sup- NACo will continue to work The two largest drivers of the Affordable Care Act and port local needs, which could closely with appropriations Source: American Library Association; America’s debt, Medicare and its accompanying taxes and force state and local govern- leaders in both the House 2014 rankings based on size of population Social Security, are left largely regulations will be repealed, ments to either raise taxes at and Senate to ensure that the served, size of library collection, circulation and number of visits to library.