Community leaders across Ohio have voiced their support for the bipartisan Metropolitan Areas Protection and Standardization (MAPS) Act led by Senator Rob Portman, Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. This bipartisan legislation will help to protect communities across the country from the possible ramifications of a proposed change that would increase the population threshold for metropolitan areas from 50,000 to 100,000. Communities in Ohio and across the United States count on this designation for federal funding that goes towards important programs. If the Biden administration’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) finalizes this standard it could threaten access to vital federal resources for nearly 150 communities across the country, including several metropolitan areas in Ohio: Lima, Mansfield, Springfield as well as the Weirton-Steubenville and Wheeling, WV-OH metropolitan areas.
The following community leaders across Ohio have voiced their support for the Metropolitan Areas Protection and Standardization (MAPS) Act:
“The Greater Springfield Partnership is strongly supportive of the MAPS Act 2021 and applauds Senator Rob Portman’s co-sponsorship of it. GSP, which represents 800 business members with more than 14,000 employees, is very concerned about the negative impact a change in our community’s designation would create for this micropolitan region. Mid-sized cities like Springfield have taken the brunt of lost manufacturing jobs over the past 5 decades. We are beginning to dig our way out, but the potential loss of our MSA designation would only serve to help push us backwards.” – Michael McDorman, President & CEO, Greater Springfield Partnership
“The City of Springfield, Ohio proudly supports Senator Rob Portman’s co-sponsorship of the MAPS Act, as it seeks to protect midsize communities like Springfield, Ohio. MSA designations play a large role in determining funding and other policy directives that have a significant impact on communities such as Springfield. Changing such designations without an opportunity for additional insight and input from the public does not make sense given the negative impact such changes could have on midsize cities. Again, we applaud Senator Portman’s recognition of this through his support of the MAPS Act.” – Warren Copeland, Mayor and Bryan Heck, City Manager, City of Springfield, Ohio
“The Lima Allen County Chamber of Commerce appreciates Senator Portman’s co-sponsorship of the MAPS Act, in conjunction with a bipartisan group of legislators. We have been very concerned with the far-reaching impact proposed changes to the MSA population threshold will have on the City of Lima and the other five Metropolitan governments of similar size in Ohio, community programs and services dependent on federal funding, and how this change will overall impact our community and business.” – Jed Metzger, President & CEO, Lima/Allen County Chamber of Commerce
“The City of Lima applauds Senator Portman for his co-sponsorship of the MAPS Act, along with a bipartisan group of legislators. While we have filed critical comments with OMB on their proposal, we remain very concerned that the consequences of their revised population criteria for MSAs hold a great threat to our community and region, to public entities and private sector interests.” – David Berger, Mayor of Lima, Ohio
“On behalf of our bipartisan coalition of Ohio mayors, we support the Metropolitan Areas Protection and Standardization Act of 2021 (MAPS), and we appreciate Sen. Portman’s advocacy for Ohio’s local communities on this issue. Many of our mid-sized cities are concerned about the potential impacts of raising the MSA population threshold, and how that could affect critical federal investments into our communities. The MAPS Act will give us better understanding of the impacts of a change in the population threshold and allow for a more transparent process.” – Keary McCarthy, Executive Director, Ohio Mayors Alliance
“It is hard to overstate the negative impact that losing the MSA designation would have on cities such as Mansfield, Ohio. As a legacy city, we are already working hard to revitalize with less resources, and to lose further funding based on this change would be devastating. I am grateful that Senator Portman is fighting for communities like ours with the MAPS Act.” – Jodie A. Perry, President & CEO, Richland Area Chamber & Economic Development
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