TITLE
RESOLUTION URGING PRESIDENT OBAMA�S ADMINISTRATION AND CONGRESS TO ELIMINATE LOCAL MATCH REQUIREMENTS FOR PROJECTS FUNDED UNDER THE AMERICAN RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT OF 2009

BODY
WHEREAS, on February 13, 2009, Congress passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), H.R. 1, at the urging of President Obama, who signed it into law four days later; and
WHEREAS, the $787 billion ARRA package sought to stimulate economic growth through federal spending in a large number of areas, including education, energy, health care, housing, social services and transportation programs; and
WHEREAS, the ARRA provides funding for a wide range of public and private entities; and
WHEREAS, many of the ARRA provisions increase funding for existing programs; and
WHEREAS, the ARRA emphasizes rapid expenditure of funds by imposing deadlines that the funds generally be expended by 2010 and by requiring that local governments and private entities allocate the ARRA funding for projects that can be implemented quickly and stimulate jobs in the local economy; and
WHEREAS, there are some ARRA funds that require local matching funds, but not all local governments can seek to use these ARRA funds because of the matching fund requirement; and
WHEREAS, local governments desire to obtain ARRA funding, and initiate new projects and stimulate the economy, but decreasing revenue has made it difficult to secure matching funds quickly and local governments are struggling to balance their budgets; and
WHEREAS, eliminating local funding match requirements from ARRA funding would serve to accelerate spending of ARRA funds and advance ARRA�s goals of improving the economy and providing much-needed jobs,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that this Board:
Section 1. Urges President Obama�s Administration and Congress to eliminate local match requirements for projects funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
Section 2. Directs the Clerk of the Board to transmit certified copies of this resolution to the members of the Florida Congressional Delegation and the Chairman of the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board.
Section 3. Directs the County�s federal lobbyists to advocate for the passage of the legislation set forth in Section 1 above, and directs the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs to include this item in the 2010 and 2011 Federal Legislative Packages.