WASHINGTON, Feb. 8, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — In a day of action on Capitol Hill, more than 35 executive directors and local leaders from more than 20 state municipal leagues have come to Capitol Hill to advocate for critical city priorities. In 42 meetings today with federal officials, city representatives will work to build local-federal partnerships and tell Congress why city priorities – including infrastructure and protecting municipal bonds – will help to move America forward. The fly in was coordinated by the National League of Cities (NLC), the nation’s largest and most representative organization for cities and their leaders.
“With so many new faces on Capitol Hill, it’s important that city leaders build relationships with federal officials and tell them why city priorities are critical to the success of our nation,” said NLC President Matt Zone, a councilmember from Cleveland. “We’re proud that our state league partners have come to Washington with a unified voice and a simple message: that the federal government needs to partner with cities to keep our economy growing and to build a national infrastructure that is the envy of the world.”
The day of action included a briefing on Capitol Hill for senators, Members of Congress and their staffs. Rep. Drew Ferguson (GA-3), a former mayor of West Point, Georgia, spoke at the briefing about the need for stronger federal-local partnerships.
“This day of action shows our federal partners that cities need a seat at the table when debating policies that affect cities and our communities,” added NLC CEO and Executive Director Clarence E. Anthony. “We’re excited to build on this momentum leading up to the Congressional City Conference in March, when city officials will meet with more than 250 Senators and Members of Congress to build crucial federal partnerships and make them champions for cities.”
In partnership with the 49 state municipal leagues, NLC represents more than 19,000 cities across America. More than 2,000 city leaders are coming to Washington March 11-15 for NLC’s annual legislative conference, the Congressional City Conference.
The following state league leaders are in Washington today for the fly-in:
Arkansas
Mayor Harry Brown, Stephens, Ark., and president, Arkansas Municipal League
Ken Wasson, director of operations, Arkansas Municipal League
Colorado
Sam Mamet, executive director, Colorado Municipal League
Delaware
Mayor Jermaine Hatton, Dover, Del., and president, Delaware League of Local Governments
Carl Luft, executive director, Delaware League of Local Governments
Florida
Jeannie Garner, deputy executive director, Florida League of Cities
Commissioner Gil Ziffer, Tallahassee, Fla., and first vice president, Florida League of Cities
Georgia
Mayor Boyd Austin, Dallas, Ga., and president, Georgia Municipal Association
Lamar Norton, executive director, Georgia Municipal Association
Becky Taylor, director, Federal Relations & Research, Georgia Municipal Association
Illinois
Brad Cole, executive director, Illinois Municipal League
Iowa
Councilmember Kris Gulick, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and past president, Iowa League of Cities
Maryland
Mayor Tracy Gant, Edmonston, Md., and president, Maryland Municipal League
Scott Hancock, executive director, Maryland Municipal League
Massachusetts
Geoff Beckwith, executive director & CEO, Massachusetts Municipal Association
Town Administrator Mel Kleckner, Brookline, Mass., and president, Massachusetts Municipal Association
Minnesota
Kevin Frazell, director of Member Services, League of Minnesota Cities
Mayor Rhonda Pownell, Northfield, Minn., and president, League of Minnesota Cities
Mississippi
Mayor Jimmy Clyde, Magee, Miss., and president, Mississippi Municipal League
Shari Veazey, executive director, Mississippi Municipal League
New Hampshire
Selectman Brent Lemire, Litchfield, N.H., and chair, New Hampshire Municipal Association
New York
Peter Baynes, executive director, New York State Conference of Mayors and Municipal Officials
Mayor Tom Roach, White Plains, N.Y., and president, New York State Conference of Mayors and Municipal Officials
North Carolina
Mayor Bob Matheny, Zebulon, N.C., and president, North Carolina League of Municipalities
Paul Meyer, executive director, North Carolina League of Municipalities
Oregon
Mayor Denny Doyle, Beaverton, Ore., and president, League of Oregon Cities
Pennsylvania
Mayor C. Kim Bracey, York, Pa., and first vice president, Pennsylvania Municipal League
Rick Schuettler, executive director, Pennsylvania Municipal League
Tennessee
Margaret Mahery, executive director, Tennessee Municipal League
Charles “Bones” Seivers, president & CEO, Tennessee Municipal League Bond Fund
Virginia
Mayor Robert Coiner, Gordonsville, Va., and president, Virginia Municipal League
Kimberly Winn, executive director, Virginia Municipal League
Washington
Peter King, CEO, Association of Washington Cities
Wisconsin
Jerry Deschane, executive director, League of Wisconsin Municipalities
Village Board President George Peterson, Rothschild, Wis., and president, League of Wisconsin Municipalities
About the National League of Cities
The National League of Cities (NLC) is dedicated to helping city leaders build better communities. NLC is a resource and advocate for 19,000 cities, towns and villages, representing more than 218 million Americans. www.nlc.org