Complex Grant-Contracting and Social Equity: Barriers to Municipal Access in Federal Block Grant Programs. Issue 2 (2nd April 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Collins, Brian K.; Andrew, Simon A.; Khunwishit, Somporn
• Is Part Of: Public performance & management review. Volume 39:Issue 2(2016)
• Page Start: 406
• Page End: 429
• Publication Date: 2016-04-02
• Subjects: community development -- contracting -- grants -- intergovernmental relations -- social equity; Civil service -- Labor productivity -- Periodicals; Civil service -- Labor productivity -- United States -- Periodicals; Government productivity -- Periodicals; Government productivity -- United States -- Periodicals; Public administration -- Periodicals; Public administration -- United States -- Periodicals; Civil service -- Labor productivity; Government productivity; Public administration; United States; Periodicals; 351.05
• DOI: 10.1080/15309576.2015.1108797
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1530-9576

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Intergovernmental granting involves complex vertical and horizontal contracting problems. The implementation of some federal social equity programs is a function, in part, of the ability of local governments to contract out. Municipalities with less administrative capacity or in high-contracting-cost environments face barriers to funding. We theorize that in some cases these problems affect equitable access to federal funding and apply this framework to the state-administered nonentitlement Community Development Block Grant (NE-CDBG) program. Utilizing a zero-inflated negative binomial regression, we examine 250 small municipal governments to test the relationship between number of NE-CDBGs grants awarded in 2000–2003 and obstacles to contracting out. Our findings suggest that needs-based access to federal funds is distorted when small cities face obstacles to contracting out as a local managerial strategy. Competitive grant processes and the council-manager form of government also influence grant access, but low- to moderate-income populations do not track the number of grants in an expected direction. Our findings highlight concerns about the ability of small municipalities to access intergovernmental grant programs.