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.1.,. .• . ~ ..,L: NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES 1612 K STREET, NORTHWEST, WASHINGTON, D. C. 20006 UNITED STATES CONFERENCE OF MAYORS 1707 H STREET, NORTHWEST, WASHINGTON, D. C. 20006 April 25, 1969 TO: Mayors and Managers of Model Cities Directors of Model Cities' City Demonstration Agencies SUBJECT: Proposal for State Administration of Model Cities Program The State of Connecticut has submitted the attached proposal to Secretary George Romney of the Department of Housing and Urban De velopment. It proposes that Connecticut be designated to conduct an experiment in administering the Model Cities Program within the state. This proposal, if approved by HUD, has very significant implications for the entire Model Cities Program, even though the experiment might not prove to be entirely successful or permanently accepted as an operating procedure by HUD. It will obviously result in s timulating a host of applications from other states for similar experime nts or for expanded state authority over Mode l Cities Programs. The second enclosure, an excerpt from a report of the Advisory Task Force on Community Deve lopme nt and Urban Re lations of the National Governors' Conference, dated April 9, 1969, indicates the des ire and strategy of states to sec ure control of the Mode l Cities Pr ogram. This clearly indicate s that the Connecticut proposal is not a localized consideration of state control of Mode l Cities. Note that in both documents the emphasis is on state control and supe rvision as contrasted with state support of Model Cities efforts. Ne ithe r Secre tary Romney nor Assistant Secr etary for Mode l Cities , F loyd Hyde, has at this point indicated s upport for this proposal. HUD has reques t ed further information from the State of Connecticut concerning the way in which the State would admi.nister the program . The s tate has also been requested to work out the r e lationship of its ope rating procedure with the HUD regional office. This work is curre ntly in process. We urge that you r e ad these reports carefully. Your views should then be conveyed to Secretary Romne y and Assistant Se cre tary Hyde . Such communications s hould be prompt . They s hould als o be the subje ct of any futur e personal discussions with key personne l of the Departme nt of Housing and Urban Deve lopment. Particular emphasis s hould be placed upon full consultation with Model Cities ' mayors and CDA 's prior to a federal decision on such a major r e structuring of fede ral - city r e lations in this program. Patr ick He aly , Exec utive Nationa l Le ague of Cities E nclos ure

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