Small Cities Need Grants Management Capacity

Grants management capacity -- the ability of local governments to identify, attract, and administer Federal grant assistance -- has become an important issue in recent years. As the amount of Federal aid to local governments increased, the limited ability of small local governments to successfully compete for available funds became a vital concern for public officials and policymakers. This inability to compete for Federal funds was further aggravated by the growing number of Federal and State mandates compelling local governments to expand or improve their community facilities and services. These mandates often disregarded the size of the community or its ability to secure and manage intergovernmental aid to finance these improvements.