United States Conference of Mayors

Mayor Kate Gallego welcomed the U.S. Conference of Mayors to #Phoenix this week. Joining her were USCM President Mayor Andrew J. Ginther of #Columbus #Ohio, Mayor John Giles of #Mesa, and Mayor Corey Woods of #Tempe, kicking off a three-city tour to showcase local solutions to America’s affordable housing crisis. The four mayors visited the Reserve at Thunderbird, a new complex providing #affordablehousing for 108 families who were previously #homeless. The project features three- and four-bedroom homes and was made possible through federal, state, and city funding. The U.S. is facing an unprecedented housing shortage, with an estimated deficit of 4 to 7 million affordable homes, according to Pew Research Center. Many renters now spend more than 30% of their income on housing—the highest burden in at least 20 years. No state has enough affordable housing to meet the needs of its lowest-income residents. At Tuesday’s press conference, mayors echoed the urgent need for federal action. "The reality is that mayors and cities can't do this alone. We need a comprehensive approach across all levels of government," said Mayor Ginther. https://lnkd.in/g8h486n7

Thank you for your leadership, mayor!

2yrs ago today, mayors joined President Biden at The White House as he signed the bipartisan #CHIPS and Science Act, celebrating its role in bringing new jobs and opportunities to cities. In commemoration, USCM President Columbus (OH) Mayor Andrew Ginther issued this statement: https://lnkd.in/eGCAG8WM

Earlier this week, at the Republican National Convention, Milwaukee (WI) Mayor Cavalier Johnson and former USCM president Miami (FL) Mayor Francis Suarez joined local leaders National League of Cities President and Rancho Cordova (CA) Mayor David Sander and Community Leaders of America Chairman and NYC City Councilmember Joe Borelli for a press conference to highlight the critical role cities play in shaping the country’s future and their interest in working across the political spectrum to address the biggest challenges facing America’s cities. Next month, mayors will travel to Chicago for the Democratic National Convention, where they will continue to bring their policy priorities in front of the leading presidential candidates.

“This is one of the most important times in American history for mayors to lead,” said USCM President Columbus (OH) Mayor Andrew Ginther on the Chuck Toddcast. Mayor Ginther and USCM Vice President Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt joined the podcast to talk about priorities for mayors and the importance of bipartisanship, especially ahead of the 2024 election. Listen here: https://lnkd.in/eEDQt5VG

Congratulations to USCM’s new president, Columbus (OH) Mayor Andrew Ginther! Thank you Reno (NV) Mayor Hilliary Schieve for your leadership over the past year. Congratulations on a successful term as USCM president. Oklahoma City (OK) Mayor David Holt will serve as USCM’s vice president. San Diego (CA) Mayor Todd Gloria will serve as USCM’s 2nd vice president. #Mayors2024

92nd Annual Meeting: Inaugural Luncheon June 23, 2024: Join us live for the Inaugural Luncheon Honoring the 82nd President of the USCM

92nd Annual Meeting: Business Session June 23, 2024: Join us live for the Business Session of our 92st Annual Meeting.

Mayors spent the afternoon in a series of breakout sessions and discussion. Riverside (CA) Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson moderated a discussion on public-private partnerships (P3s). “There’s no better place to build partnerships than with mayors, who have to think about partnerships every single day,” said Senior Advisor to the President and Director of the Office of Public Engagement Steven Benjamin during the discussion. “It’s great to see this group of bipartisan leaders trying to get things done,” he continued. Kansas City (MO) Mayor Quinton Lucas led a session on preventing and reducing gun violence with several federal officials. ““In the end we always work to come to good solutions to make our streets safer,” he said. At a session on mental health and homelessness, Reno (NV) Mayor Hillary Schieve led a discussion with Durham (NC) Mayor Leonardo Williams and Allentown (PA) Mayor Matt Tuerk about how cities can improve behavioral health outcomes. San Diego (CA) Mayor Todd Gloria and Madison (WI) Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway, the co-chairs of the USCM LGBTQ+ Alliance, led a discussion on the impact of anti-LGBTQ+ state legislation and the 2024 elections. Kansas City (MO) Mayor Quinton Lucas and Fort Lauderdale (FL) Mayor Dean Trantalis announced the results of an 83-city survey on how mayors are building inclusive cities by supporting and involving LGBTQ+ residents. “I just want kids to be able to grow up happily, and to live their lives, and to be good, healthy, productive adults in our state,” said Mayor Lucas. 

During the Saturday Plenary Lunch, St. Louis (MO) Mayor Tishaura Jones and Cincinnati (OH) Mayor Aftab Pureval joined Senior Advisor to the President and Director of the Office of Public Engagement Steven Benjamin for a discussion about public-private partnerships. “We can’t do it on our own because we shouldn’t be doing it on our own,” said Benjamin, a former president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. “We should be doing all of these things together.” San Antonio (TX) Mayor Ron Nirenberg announced the Mayors’ Guide to Compassionate and Equitable Cities. The guide equips mayors with tools to support and track compassionate policies. Burnsville (MN) Mayor Elizabeth Kautz led a panel discussion on reproductive rights with Tucson (AZ) Mayor Regina Romero, Gresham (OR) Mayor Travis Stovall. Mayors Kautz and Romero co-chair the USCM Women’s Health and Reproductive Rights Task Force. “The overturn of Roe allowed many states to ban abortion outright,” said Mayor Kautz. “Our nation now has a variety of state policies impacting reproductive rights and access to healthcare.” “While the direct impacts may be local, what happens in one state and city impacts all of us,” she continued. USCM President Reno (NV) Mayor Hillary Schieve closed the session with a discussion on how mayors can combine local artistic expression with effective urban design. “Art is a way you package a city,” said Mayor Schieve. #Mayors2024