LEWISTON – The city is in the running for another municipal honor, this time an award for municipal excellence from the National League of Cities.

Lewiston’s application highlights the city’s Earned Income Tax Credit program and effort to help low income residents prepare their income tax filings each year.

The league and engineering firm CH2M Hill are sponsoring the awards at the league’s Congress of Cities and Exposition Nov. 11 through 15 in Orlando, Fla.

In all, 57 cities are competing in four categories based on size. Lewiston is one of 19 communities up for the award in the “less than 50,000 population” category. It’s competing against Bangor, Burlington, Vt., and cities from Alaska to Louisiana.

Lewiston’s program helps provide tax filing advice for low income residents. It also encourages residents who qualify for the federal Earned Income Tax Credit to apply. That’s a federal program that returns income taxes to some residents, and the Lewiston program has helped residents qualify for $5.7 million in tax refunds since it started in 2004.