The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released an initial recommendation to raise the Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSAs) core population threshold from 50,000 to 100,000. This change would have resulted in 144 MSAs being removed and would have significantly impacted Community Development Block Grant programs and funding. The National League of Cities (NLC), in response to the OMB proposal, submitted comments strongly opposing the proposed MSA definition change. On Wednesday OMB issued an opinion that agrees with NLC's comments and rejects OMB’s initial recommendation noting that there is insufficient justification at this time to raise the threshold and further research is necessary before changing the criteria.
The current MSA threshold remains in place.
Contact: Paul Penna, Legislative Analyst, ppenna@njlm.org, 609 695-3481, x110.