The quiet campaign to forget rural communities

To my friends and neighbors in rural communities, I would like to draw your attention to an action by the federal government that has communities like ours in its crosshairs. Federal regulators are hoping that rural communities will fail to notice what they are doing. In Arizona this list includes Flagstaff, Prescott, and Sierra Vista.

Let’s prove them wrong. Here is what you need to know.

The Office of Management and Budget is attempting to quietly change the threshold for what qualifies as a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) from 50,000 population to 100,000. This would mean that the programs that require MSA designation will go away. This funding is vital to bring investment in our local communities and spur on economic development.

At the Arizona Regional Economic Development Foundation, we are fighting to preserve and enhance the quality of life in rural communities. The loss of this designation is an aim to balance the federal budget on the backs of hard-working rural communities like ours, just as we are seeking to rebuild following the Covid pandemic.

We need to keep our seat at the table.

Write or call our members of Congress. Tell them that they need to stop this effort in its tracks. They need to know that you care about moving the MSA designation from 50,000 population to 100,000.

This is not just a “statistical” change – this will have financial impacts on communities.

OMB has identified more than 140 cities that will no longer meet the criteria for MSA eligibility, making them ineligible for many federal resources including, Community Development Block Grant, infrastructure funding and many economic development programs.

You can point out that this funding is vital to bring investment to our local communities and spur on economic development. In addition to funding decisions at the federal level, the loss of a MSA designation could also negatively impact a community’s ability to attract and retain businesses and top-talent employees.

Furthermore, the MSA designation ensures communities like ours can advocate for their needs, access state and federal resources and gives them a seat at many tables. Without this designation, many of our cities will be left without the resources they need or avenues to highlight the work of their community. We respectfully request that OMB not move forward with raising the population standards for MSA.

Will you join me in letting the federal government know that they cannot leave rural communities like ours behind?

Mignonne Hollis the executive director of the Arizona Regional Economic Development Foundation, serves on the board of the International Association for Economic Development, is the current board president of the Arizona Association for Economic Development, and is executive director of Aerospace Arizona.