Bryan selected to participate in national campaign

Bryan has been selected by the National League of Cities’ (NLC) Institute for Youth, Education, and Families to participate in the Bank On Cities Campaign. Bryan was chosen because of a strong commitment to helping residents achieve financial stability. The campaign will provide cities with assistance in helping residents build and protect assets by promoting connections to the financial mainstream at a time when many families are struggling to make ends meet.

Twenty-one cities applied to join the NLC campaign, and just eight were selected.

“Bryan presented a very strong case for its inclusion because of work that we are already doing, through our collaboration with the United Way, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance sites and financial education,” said Bryan City Council member Ann Horton, who has championed the program locally. “Given the financial climate, this is the perfect time to focus on helping families become strong financially.”

Bryan’s application was prepared by Ronnie Jackson, the City’s neighborhood and youth services manager.

Modeled after the Bank On San Francisco initiative developed by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and Treasurer José Cisneros, the Bank On Cities Campaign helps create relationships among local governments, citizens, local banks and credit unions, and community partners to ensure that all residents have access to bank accounts, financial education and other asset-building opportunities. Many families, particularly those with low incomes, rely on payday lenders, check cashers and other high-cost fringe financial services for their banking needs. The project aims to expand families’ access to free and low-cost bank accounts to help them keep more of their paychecks, build savings and establish a credit history.

“This program provides a tremendous opportunity for cities to engage their citizens in an effort to build assets and create financially stable households,” said Kathleen M. Novak, president, National League of Cities, mayor, Northglenn, Colo. “The opportunities this program provides are critical to enhancing the broader economic vitality of cities.”

Throughout the one-year project, Bryan will receive intensive technical assistance from NLC through conference calls, web seminars and gatherings with other project cities to engage in peer networking and share successful ideas. City officials will develop action plans to outline the city’s goals in the Bank On Cities Campaign, using advice and resources from NLC staff and national experts.

Other cities selected for the project include: Denver, Colo.; Gaithersburg, Md.; Indianapolis, Ind.; Louisville, Ky.; Newark, NJ; Rapid City, SD; and St. Petersburg, Fla.

The Bank On Cities Campaign is supported by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Ford Foundation. In 2008, the YEF Institute’s Bank On Cities Campaign provided technical assistance to 10 cities, many of which have already launched successful programs to reach “unbanked” residents.

The National League of Cities is the nation’s oldest and largest organization devoted to strengthening and promoting cities as centers of opportunity, leadership and governance. NLC is a resource and advocate for 19,000 cities, towns and villages, representing more than 218 million Americans. www.nlc.org.

Additional Contact Information
Ronnie Jackson
Neighborhood and Youth Services Manager
(979) 209-5155
rjackson@bryantx.gov

-or-

Amanda Straub
National League of Cities
(202) 626-3015
straub@nlc.org

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