National League of Cities
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- Last Updated on Tuesday, 13 September 2011 13:08
I am updating my website from our nation's capital, where I am joined by over 2,000 other mayors and councilmen attending the National League of Cities annual conference. The conference kicked off this morning with an address from Judy Woodruff, senior correspondent for PBS Newshour.
We have the opportunity to attend presentations on a host of topics, ranging from high-speed rail to climate change to public safety; from water to broadband. I anxiously look forward to my afternoon session today: Successful Neighborhood Stabilization Programs.
I have met councilmen from a host of states: Nevada, Colorado, Georgia, Alabama, Florida and Virginia. Some are newly-elected officials like me; others are seasoned public servants.
I attended a Leadership session yesterday that dealt with optimizing relationships with City Staff. Once we started the class, however, the subject matter ranged much wider than I had anticipated, and I learned quite a bit about creative problem solving.
We have discussed our mutual concerns such as the need for jobs in our cities and struggling school systems, and we have shared our individual issues. I mentioned our challenge with the Shober Bridge and was overwhelmed with the support and concern for the complexity of the issue from other councilmen. We all identify with each other's situations, and many here have seen similar challenges and can speak with wisdom about possible compromises and solutions.
I am thankful for the opportunity to attend this conference and look forward to the remaining 2 days. I'll post another update before returning to Salisbury.
