ARCIT Accomplishments and Goals

Membership Growth:
wMarch, 2002:  69 members
wFAll, 2008:  Over 300 cities, counties, economic development corporations and water/sewer districts and growing stronger

Most Recent Accomplishments in the 80th Texas Legislature and State Agencies:

• Retoration of parks fund back to $15 million
• Texas Commission on Environmental Quality can now base fines on utility budget size
• Office of Rural Community Affairs reauthorized as the rural state agency for Texas through the Sunset Process
• Education of the Texas Legislature as to the need for the HOME funds administered by TDHCA for 30% and below AMFI be a loan vs. grants
• Protected the rural affordable housing programs
• Establishment of a home-delivery program for the elderly in the State Dept. of Agriculture
• Allows tax credit affordable housing deals to have scattered sites in rural areas
• Education of the Senate/House regarding the need for a rural economic development fund
• HOME revisions regarding the Owner-Occupied Program administered by TDHCA
• Currently working with the Office of Rural Community Affairs and the Department of Agriculture to ensure that the Texas Capital Fund remains a program for small rural communities
• Establishment of 3 ARCIT grass-roots advisory committees to advise the ARCIT Board of Directors regarding statewide policies/programs/statutes in the areas of economic, community development and environmental challenges.

Recap of  Overall Accomplishments:
wDeveloped a data base of all 1100 rural cities/counties/edcs to quarterly survey and obtain their input on community development and economic needs and environmental challenges in order to give their rural local official  insight to state/federal agencies, Texas Legislature and Congress
wRural Local Official Resource to the Texas Legislature and U.S. Congress
wForming the Alliance for Rural Texas (ART) to include all Texas associations dealing with rural issues to develop a deeper rural coalition base
wEstablished  a local official advisory committee with Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).  Accomplished April, 2006.  Committee meets with TCEQ quarterly in order to proactively identify and solve programmatic and rule challenges.  See Advisory Committees--LOAC to TCEQ. 
wEstablished a Rural Economic Development Advisory Committee (REDAC) to study the state of the Texas rural economy and the effectiveness of  federal/state/local economic development tools  See Advisory Committees--REDAC.
wEstablishing a Community Development Advisory Committee (CDAC) to study rural community development needs and the effectiveness of federal/state/local tools  See Advisory Committees--CDAC.
wRural local official resource to the 79th Texas Legislature regarding the Economic Sales Tax for Rural Texas change to provide additional flexibility allowing small business development in communities 20,000 and under   See ARCIT Resources--4A/4B Brief
wConducted statewide survey of Economic Development Corporations to study effectiveness of economic sales tax statute
wConducting quarterly survey of members to determine needs of membership
wRural resource to TDHCA to adjust the Area Housing Needs Score to assist more rural communities, protect and even expand rural affordable housing programs
wRural Local Official resource to TDHCA, ORCA, Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife, TDA, TSHAC, and TCEQ*

 ARCIT Goals:
wSee Advisory Committee Goals link on the Home Page for the 81st Texas Legislature beginning in January, 2009.

*Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, Office of Rural and Community Affairs, Texas Department of Agriculture, Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality