§ 15505 — Local Development Districts And Organizations

(a) Subject to the requirements of this section, a Commission may make grants to a local development district to assist in the payment of development planning and administrative expenses. (1) The amount of a grant awarded under this section may not exceed 80 percent of the administrative and planning expenses of the local development district receiving the grant. (2) In the case of a State agency certified as a local development district, a grant may not be awarded to the agency under this section for more than 3 fiscal years. (3) The contributions of a local development district for administrative expenses may be in cash or in kind, fairly evaluated, including space, equipment, and services. (c) A local development district shall— (1) operate as a lead organization serving multicounty areas in the region at the local level; (2) assist the Commission in carrying out outreach activities for local governments, community development groups, the business community, and the public; (3) serve as a liaison between State and local governments, nonprofit organizations (including community-based groups and educational institutions), the business community, and citizens; and (4) assist the individuals and entities described in paragraph (3) in identifying, assessing, and facilitating projects and programs to promote the economic development of the region.