Letters

The Cities Initiative periodically sends letters to various elected officials and other organizations regarding issues of concern.

Cities Initiative Supports Coastal Resilience Funding in Congressional Budget Bill

The Cities Initiative is supporting funding for coastal resilience efforts included in budget reconciliation legislation passed by the House Natural Resources Committee. The Committee’s portion of the larger reconciliation package provides $9.5 billion to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to help coastal communities restore habitat, adapt to climate change, and protect infrastructure from rising water levels, severe storms, and flooding. In letters to House and Senate leaders, the Cities Initiative emphasized that the funding responds to urgent needs facing shoreline communities and asked that it be retained as the budget reconciliation package moves forward. Drawing from the Cities Initiative’s regional survey, the letters noted that Great Lakes cities are projected to face more than $2 billion in expenses over the next five years to strengthen climate resilience in vulnerable shoreline areas.

September 9, 2021 – Letter to the House of Representatives
September 9, 2021 – Letter to the Senate

June 24, 2021 – Letter to House of Representative and Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and Transportation and Infrastructure

December 15, 2020 – Joint letter from Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative and Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative Mayors calling for urgently needed financial relief for cities and towns

September 21, 2020 – Joint letter from Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative and Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative Mayors calling for compromise on a COVID-19 package with financial relief for cities and towns