Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies on State and Local Officials Involvement in Administration Policies and Programs

Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies

Throughout the campaign and transition period, I made a firm commitment to state and local officials that they would be involved in the development of my Administration's policy and budget priorities and programs. I pledged that such consultation would occur at the earliest possible stages in order to make it significant and fruitful.

That kind of state and local involvement is critical to the ultimate success of this Administration because:
• State and local sectors constitute the delivery mechanisms for most of the actual services the federal government provides;
• State and local concerns, as well as their expertise, should be considered as programs are being developed in order to ensure the practicality and effectiveness of the programs;
• Such early participation by state and local officials in our planning process will help ensure broad-based support for the proposals that are eventually developed.
• It will ensure that priorities developed at the federal level will work in conjunction with, and not at cross purposes to, priorities at the state and local level.

In order to assure that these objectives are met, please include in any major policy, budget or reorganization proposal which has significant state and local impact, a brief description of how you fulfilled this commitment on my behalf. It is not necessary to hold large and time-consuming public hearings, or to establish large task forces to accomplish this goal. Selecting state and local officials expert in a particular issue and asking for their assistance in developing a program will often serve our purpose.

The most important part of this consultative process is that it be genuine and timely.

JIMMY CARTER