MSA Day of Action to show the harm a change in Metropolitan Statistical Areas will have on Dubuque

In January 2021, the Office of Management and Budget released a proposed rule that would change the designating criteria for Metropolitan Statistical Areas by increasing the threshold for an urbanized area (the urban core of an MSA with its own definition) from 50,000 to 100,000 in population. This change would eliminate the Metropolitan designation of more than 140 communities across the U.S.

In response, the Dubuque Chamber is hosting a Day of Action to make sure our partners in Washington, D.C. recognize the harm such a rule change would have. If you’re ready to take action, click the button below and choose an action! If you need more information, consider signing up for our issue briefing [LINK HERE] on XXX date where we’ll discuss the specifics of the rule change and how you can make an impact.

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What is a Metropolitan Statistical Area or MSA?

The general concept of a metropolitan or micropolitan statistical area is that of a core area containing a substantial population nucleus, together with adjacent communities having a high degree of economic and social integration with that core. Currently delineated metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas are based on the application of 2010 standards (which appeared in the Federal Register on June 28, 2010) to 2010 Census and 2011-2015 American Community Survey data, as well as 2018 Population Estimates Program data. Current metropolitan and micropolitan statistical area delineations were announced by OMB effective March 2020.

Why is this important?

A change in the MSA designation for communities could have wide-ranging impacts including:

Reduced exposure to large economic development projects: Losing the status of Metropolitan Statistical Area would devastate efforts to attract and retain businesses and top talent in any of the 144 communities this rule would impact.
Reduced funding for hospitals: Medicare labor reimbursement rates are determined, in part, by whether a hospital is rural or urban. CMS determines rural vs. urban by whether a community is a Metropolitan or Micropolitan statistical area.
Future loss of CDBG and other funding: Changes in MSA criteria will likely lead to a change in grant and funding criteria as new standards are adopted. For instance, current CDBG funding uses the current MSA threshold of 50,000 in an urban area to define entitlement communities when distributing funds. If a new MSA threshold is adopted, we are likely to see policy reflect this change. How will entitlement communities face this change?
Increased cost to taxpayers: Micropolitan statistical areas are eligible for many programs unavailable to Metro statistical areas because they have fewer resources to bring to bear. These extra funding programs will not make up for the lost projects or people, but they will increase costs for taxpayers.

To stop these harmful effects, we need your help to raise the voice of businesses in opposition to this legislation.

What can you do?

Write to your member of Congress:
Ask your Representatives and Senators to sign onto the letter being circulated by Rep. XXXX/Sen. XXXX via the link below. All you need to do is let them know why this is important, share the link, and encourage them to sign on.
Send a press release:
You can also send a press release to local media, letting them know about the harmful effects of this policy. A draft press release is included in the attachments to this email.
Post on Social Media:
Attached are some graphics you can include on social media posts opposing this rule. Posting on social media and tagging your representative can be a good way to get their attention.
Engage local stakeholders:
Don’t go into this fight alone, work with your local economic development groups, hospitals, city administration, and others to coordinate your efforts.

If we can all come together and make our voices heard, we’ll have done a great service to the businesses and communities we all love to serve.