Columbus, Georgia

A RESOLUTION



NO._______





WHEREAS, the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 have changed life

throughout the Nation, and robbed Americans of their sense of security;



WHEREAS, the attacks have far reaching implications for all cities and towns

and their first responders now on the front lines of hometown defense;



WHEREAS, cities have shouldered the full financial burden for hometown security

defense at a cost of approximately $3 billion since September 2001;



WHEREAS, at significant cost to local taxpayers across America, cities have met

their many new hometown security challenges by updating their emergency plans

to meet multiple new threats such as dirty bombs, biological and chemical

weapons, taking on security duties at commercial airports, identifying and

assessing their vulnerabilities, and improving collaboration, communication and

information sharing within their regions and with state and federal government;



WHEREAS, cities cannot carry this new financial burden alone much longer and

continue to maintain other essential local services without raising local taxes

or cutting services;



WHEREAS, a recent National League of Cities survey shows that, for the first

time since 1992, a majority of cities are less able to meet their financial

needs because of a fall off in revenues due to the economic downturn and the

surge in spending for hometown security.



NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Columbus, Georgia hereby

endorses the National League of Cities? Hometown Security Day (October 22,

2002) to draw attention to the essential role of America?s cities and towns as

the front line of homeland defense and the urgent need for a true federal-local

partnership to carry out this new responsibility; and



BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City of Columbus, Georgia urges Congress and

the President to work out their differences and pass a homeland security bill

now to provide a federal framework for unified and coordinated responses to

terrorism; and



BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City of Columbus urges Congress, with the full

support of the President, to finalize immediately 2003 funding for homeland

security, particularly the $3.5 billion promised for first responders and the

$22 million per month reimbursement promised to cities and towns for providing

local law enforcement at the nation?s commercial airports.





Introduced at a regular meeting of the Council of Columbus, Georgia,

held the ___________ day of ____________, 2002 and adopted at said meeting by

the affirmative vote of _________ members of said Council.





Councilor Allen voting __________.

Councilor Davis voting __________.

Councilor Henderson voting __________.

Councilor Hunter voting __________.

Councilor McDaniel voting __________.

Councilor Rodgers voting __________.

Councilor Smith voting __________.

Councilor Suber voting __________.

Councilor Turner Pugh voting __________.

Councilor Woodson voting __________.



___________________________________ _____________________________

Tiny B. Washington, Clerk of Council Bobby G. Peters, Mayor