Metropolitan Mayors Advocate for City Role in Stimulus Package
December 19, 2008
Contact: Julie White (919) 715-7895
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Metropolitan Mayors Advocate for City Role in Stimulus Package
Metro cities release $2.8 billion list of local, ready-to-go projects to create nearly 100,000 jobs
RALEIGH – The North Carolina Metropolitan Mayors Coalition released a list today containing $2.8 billion of ready to go infrastructure projects demonstrating local government’s ability to put the federal stimulus dollars to work quickly on projects that will create nearly 100,000 jobs.
“North Carolina cities stand ready to partner with federal and state leaders in their efforts to move North Carolina’s economy forward,” said Rocky Mount Mayor David Combs, co-chair of the Coalition’s Economic Development committee. “Our goal in releasing this list is not to advocate for individual projects, but to show cities’ ability to deploy the stimulus money quickly on important local infrastructure projects.”
Cities will be contacting their Congressional delegation seeking support for a strong role for local government in the federal stimulus package and reaching out to state leaders with the goal of securing a portion of the money that flows to the state for local projects.
“Cities have local infrastructure projects which will create nearly 100,000 jobs,” said Cary Mayor Pro Tem Julie Robison, co-chair of the Coalition’s Economic Development committee. “The federal stimulus package is an extraordinary opportunity to move our economy forward while making smart investments in our future.”
According to Donovan D. Rypkema, in his 2005 book Economics of Historic Preservation: A Community Leader’s Guide, $1,000,000 spent in new construction creates approximately 35.9 jobs.
The North Carolina Metropolitan Mayors Coalition was founded in 2001 by large city mayors and today represents the state’s 26 largest cities and more than three million citizens. The Coalition remains a nonpartisan, mayor-driven organization advocating on urban issues that affect many of our cities in a fast-growing state.
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