16th Annual Report Page: 8
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In addition to survey findings, the
report also discusses key policy variables
among which policymakers
must choose in designing or revamping
a circuit-breaker program. Another
section also considers some
basic criticisms recently leveled
against circuit-breakers, and concludes
that the criticisms do not undermine
the desirability of circuitbreaker
programs.
New Mexico's Experiment. New
Mexico has introduced a tax relief
program with a new wrinkle that is
potentially even more effective than
circuit-breakers in relieving tax overloads.
The program, called the Low
Income Comprehensive Tax Credit
(LICTC), was enacted in 1972 and revised
in 1973 and 1974. It provides relief
from some part of all state and
local taxes for families that fall below
the official poverty line. The relief
is granted through a refundable
credit against the New Mexico income
tax.
Local Government
Modernization/Reassignment
of Functions
At its February 1974 meeting in
Washington, D.C., ACIR completed
action on its study of the problems
and prospects for local governments
and substate regions. Having already
made a series of recommendations
regarding the structure and function
of substate districts (Umbrella Multijurisdictional
Organizations UMJOs)
at its June 1973 meeting,1
the Commission turned in February
to the two companion elements of
the study: local government modernization
and reassignment of functions.2
'See ACIR, Regional Decision Making: New
Strategies for Substate Districts, A-43, October,
1973.
2See ACIR, The Challenge of Local Governmental
Reorganization, A44, February, 1974;
and Governmental Functions and Process:
Local and Areawide, A-45, February, 1974.The Commission concluded that
the rapid proliferation of Federally
supported districts, state established
districts, special districts and public
authorities, regional councils, and
areawide coordinating procedures
was a commentary on the outmoded
jurisdictional pattern of many local
governments. It, therefore, adopted
a series of recommendations for local
government modernization that
will complement the UMJO program.
This agenda encompasses a halfdozen
broad and interrelated objectives:
* to urge the states to place their
statutory authority clearly behind
a set of enforceable
standards relating to municipal
incorporation, local government
viability, and annexation;
* to seek state establishment of
local government boundary
commissions to apply these
standards in specific instances
and to assume a continuing responsibility
for the modification
of substate district and
county boundaries; the dissolution
or merger of special districts
and non-viable general
local government units; and
similar problems;
* to revitalize the structure of
county governments with a
packet of nine reform proposals
which would sort out
and reconcile county and municipal
servicing responsibilities
and carry out a new state
role that supports these efforts;*to seek state enactment of permissive
legislation authorizing
five different reorganization
options: multicounty consolidation,
city-county merger,
"modernized" county, multi-
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United States. Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations. 16th Annual Report, book, January 1975; Washington, D.C.. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1121/m1/16/: accessed March 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.