WHITE HOUSE OFFICE OF RECORDS MANAGEMENT SUBJECT FILE: LOCAL GOVERNMENTS (LG)

Research Availability:
Open - all records in the subject category have been processed and are available for research
Partial - some of the records in the subject category have been processed and available for research
None - no records in the subject category have been processed nor made available for research

File Code Description Research
Availability
LG

Local Governments (4 l.ft.; boxes 1-11)
NOTE: Case files within this category were given 5 letter subcodes to indicate the local government topic of a particular case file.  For example case files regarding New York City were LG NEWYO followed by the case file number.

This primary subject category contains material relating to general national urban policy; the discussion, drafts and final copy of the Reagan administration’s official urban policy issued in 1984 & 1988; contact and comments from groups like the National Association of Counties, the National League of Cities, the US Conference of Mayors, Neighborhood Reinvestment, the Heritage Foundation/American Enterprise Institute’s National Center for Neighborhood Enterprise, the National Conference of Black Mayors, National Association of Regional Counties, National Council of Democratic Mayors, and the National Association of Towns and Townships; White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs standard correspondence with local officials; policy initiatives on private sector actions to revitalize urban areas; urban free enterprise zones; municipal liability insurance crisis; editing and comments of the HUD annual publication – the President’s Urban Policy Review; and citizen’s complaints about various local projects and developments. 

This subject category also contains material relating to local city, counties, and regional government correspondence containing complaints about particular federal regulations, especially the Environmental Protection Agency, and federal cutbacks in aid; reports and information about local projects and functions; requests for federal assistance for local projects, especially private/public consortium; numerous localities declaring themselves “nuclear-free zones;” support for the President’s urban policies; and requests for assistance in obtaining federal monies through Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) and Urban Development Action Grants (UDAG).  Certain cities and issues involved repeated correspondence with the White House. Topics covered include:

  • Atlanta, GA: Material relating to the murdered and missing children in the early 1980s
  • Chicago, IL: Material relating to the pending federal takeover of the Chicago Housing Authority by HUD
  • Cleveland, OH: Material relating to correspondence with then Mayor George Voinovich regarding city revitalization and urban policy and requests for federal assistance
  • Los Angeles, CA: Material relating to local Los Angeles projects on creating jobs, requests for more law enforcement to combat drug trafficking, FEMA confirming Los Angeles officials had emergency training for the upcoming 1984 Olympics and concerns about federal budget cutbacks.
  • New Orleans, LA: Material relating to pay for police officers
  • New York City, NY: Material relating to South Bronx revitalization including announcement of the Welbilt contract; various correspondence from then Mayor Ed Koch regarding federal assistance and programs within New York City
  • Miami, FL: Material relating to a campaign of correspondence to persuade the President to select Miami as the site of the 1992 Christopher Columbus 500th Anniversary Exposition; and correspondence on the Miami/Dade County crime problems
Open