The Washington-based National Association of Counties (NACo) has released two surveys on the effects of high gas prices and foreclosures on local economies. A majority of respondents to the first survey reported fuel expenditure increases of 21 percent or more in the last six months, and 96 percent of the respondents to the latter survey reported an increase in foreclosures over the past year.

The gas price survey also found that public safety, public works, social services, and parks and recreation departments were most affected by the higher fuel costs. That survey is available at http://www.naco.org/Template.cfm?Section=Media_Center&amp
;template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=27927

One-third of the 112 counties that responded to the foreclosure survey saw foreclosure rate increases of more than 50 percent. The survey's full results are available at http://www.naco.org/Template.cfm?Section=Publications&template=/
ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=27939.