Republican Mayors and Local Officials (RMLO)

USCM Staff Liaison: Ed Somers

Republican Mayors Make Plans for Philadelphia (5/1/00) RMLO Officers

Mission:

RMLO is a coalition of elected officials at the county and city level who have joined together to form a unified voice representing local government leadership. While working within the non-partisan framework of The U.S. Conference of Mayors and the National League of Cities, RMLO seeks to enable Republican officials to express, develop and preserve the philosophy of the Republican Party in cities and towns across America. RMLO accomplishes this by consulting and cooperating with each other, elected county officials, State League officials, governors, and federal executive branch and Congressional members of the Senate and House of Representatives. RMLO has also established relationships with national, state and local Republican Party leaders to identify and resolve significant issues of concern to the nation, particularly those affecting government at the municipal level.

Statement of Mayor Hal Daub of Omaha, RMLO President:

"This election year presents some momentous challenges and opportunities to local leadership throughout the country. With significant advances in the devolution of government comes greater autonomy for local government and a heavier burden to bear at the municipal level. The outcome of this year's elections could well determine whether that trend continues or reverses itself. To protect and give balance to the interests of local government relative to these changes, a strong, cohesive local presence can be helpful -- that presence is provided by the Republican Mayors and Local Officials Association (RMLO).

"In our communications with members of Congress, we seek a seat at the table to impact legislation which affects our ability to manage our communities, implement our strategic plans and provide basic services to our citizens. We target specific issues such as empowerment, transportation, energy and environmental concerns. It is fitting that RMLO's efforts to empower local government leadership have been met with an invitation by Congressional leaders to participate in drafting federal empowerment legislation. This formal recognition of our role and influence in forming governmental policy bodes well for our continued participation at the federal level.

"We are winning the battle for local government control, and with that comes many challenges. With the trend toward "devolution", local governments must be prepared to enter into new cooperative agreements. City-county mergers and interlocal agreements will become increasingly common and must be developed in a manner that provides the most efficient and effective services to a broad population base. Local budgets will have to be carefully redeveloped to establish funding mechanisms for block grant allocations. Decreases in federal funding for some programs require us to identify new means of providing assistance to worthwhile activities such as the arts, education and training programs. All of this means that we must work together in cooperative agreements to adjust operating methods and budget priorities among various levels of government.

"We strongly support appropriate tax incentivized balanced budget and deficit reduction measures. Our position on devolution is consistent with that of both the NLC and The U.S. Conference of Mayors on unfunded mandates and pass-through systems for block grants. Our organization is designed to exchange ideas and information to help each become more effective in leading and managing our communities and public service programs.

"To ensure we are able to meet these challenges, we must be given the fullest latitude by the federal government to implement local programs independently. To that end, we will maintain a firm and persistent presence before Congress. We will exercise our collective voice to ensure legislators are attentive to the needs and obstacles facing local government, and that they understand the impact of their decisions on communities throughout the country. We must strike a balance among federal and local resources at our disposal to meet the basic needs of our communities, and we must establish a means of coordinating those resources effectively. Most of all, we must keep the federal government accountable to local governments, who are responsible for implementing federal policies and who will ultimately pay the price for federal legislation.

"To ensure the tradition of local autonomy and Congressional effectiveness continues, the RMLO Association supports the development of its members into state- and federal-level officeholders. We do not, however, support or raise money in support of any candidates for office, a provision stipulated in our articles of association. We are building a support system to teach and encourage Republican leaders to seek and achieve higher office. Our first step will be a series of workshops at this year's national party convention in San Diego. Open to all convention attendees, the workshops will focus on how to become a candidate, how to develop policies and present issues, and how to win elections. Our recent successes at the national level should serve as a springboard for greater successes in the future, at all levels.

"We will also support our party's chosen nominees throughout this election year, giving them the opportunity to study and address the issues that affect local government. Our participation will help ensure the campaign is based on real issues rather than political rhetoric, and will strengthen our party's convictions and solidarity. The discussions that will come as a result of this concentration on the issues will make our citizens more informed and more conscientious decision-makers.

"The timbre of RMLO's voice is growing steadily. Washington is paying attention; the Republican Party is paying attention. We have been asked to assist in drafting legislation. We have been invited to establish a presence at the convention. We welcome new members who share these goals and desire the social camaraderie and professional development offered by RMLO.

"We are in a position now to make our concerns known to those qualified to address them, and they have turned a willing ear toward us. It is important that we take advantage of this opportunity -- tune up and sing out, with one voice, loud and clear."