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o Local governments are best suited to administer programs and <br />monitor programs for the benefit of local citizens. Activities by the <br />Federal Government that impede the ability of local governments <br />to manage franchising, zoning, permitting, local licensing, and local <br />code development stymie the growth of local economies and cities. <br />Preemption or federalization of programming and other regulator <br />activities diminish citizen input for community development <br />• Support for the preservation of the tax - exempt status of municipal debt <br />obligations <br />• MUNI bonds should be preserved and not altered in any fashion <br />particularly as to public buildings, spaces, infrastructure and <br />utilities <br />• Federal communications taxes should be modernized while <br />maintaining local autonomy and discretion as well as allowing for <br />the rapid evolution and change taking place in the industry <br />• Support Federal grants to local governments being used to provide fiscal <br />support, initiate new programs or approaches to solving urban problems, <br />increase socio- economic equity, and achieve national objectives <br />Support the Federal Government paying municipalities an annual sum in <br />lieu of payment of real property taxes on federally owned, occupied, or <br />controlled property otherwise exempt from such property taxes <br />o Municipalities should in no way be constrained from collecting taxes <br />of any type that are normal and fair from any individual, business, <br />or corporation conducting activities on or within any federally <br />owned, occupied, or controlled property or installation <br />• Support federal priority funding for improving the efficiency of the <br />connecting modes of intermodal/ multimodal facilities <br />o Federal government should allow the MPO and /or the local <br />government to plan projects that use alternate design standards <br />while meeting environmental objectives, when the use of rigid <br />federal design standards is inconsistent with local needs <br />Support Federal direct (low interest) loans, loan guarantees and credit line <br />assistance with favorable terms through programs like Infrastructure <br />Banks and the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act <br />(TIFIA) <br />o Support the application of objective approval criteria for credit <br />assistance. Approval factors should include, but not be limited to, <br />threshold cost requirements, consistency with long -range regional <br />and state transportation plans, generation of economic benefits, <br />