In the News

A proposal by the federal government to redefine the population criteria for what constitutes a metropolitan statistical area has the attention of Harrisonburg City officials, but they're not ready to offer an opinion.

On Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Ben Cline (R), whose district includes Harrisonburg, joined about 50 other members of Congress in signing a letter opposing the proposed change to the definition of a metropolitan area.

"After hearing from local officials, I have serious concerns regarding the federal government's proposal to redefine the population criteria for metropolitan statistical areas," Cline said, in a statement provided by his office. "This change could negatively impact federal funding for cities like Harrisonburg and Staunton, and I recently joined my colleagues in writing to the Acting Director of the Office of Management and Budget to express my concerns. This proposed change is arbitrary, and I call on the Biden Administration to reconsider this potential decision."

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