STRONG CITIES, STRONG COMMUNITIES

WHEREAS, an absence of coordination between the various agencies of the  federal government and city governments has often made the federal city partnership less effective than it should be; and

WHEREAS,  if federal resources are properly coordinated and aligned  local governments seeking  to advance their economic development, infrastructure modernization, environmental quality, public safety and human resources  will benefit from access to the knowledge, guidance, and resources made available by federal agencies; and

WHEREAS, the Administration has proposed a new interagency pilot initiative that aims to strengthen neighborhoods, towns, cities and regions around the country by improving  the capacity of local governments to develop and execute their economic vision and strategies with increased accessibility to these federal resources and better coordination among the federal agencies;  and

WHEREAS,  this White House Council on Strong Cities, Strong Communities would help to remove  federal agency silos and allow federal government officials to work side-by-side with local leaders to create jobs, improve the business climate, and address local and regional challenges; and

WHEREAS, the six communities which have already been involved in the pilot initiative in the last year have gained from the  federal expertise and technical assistance they have received from federal agency advisors who have assisted them to  develop comprehensive plans for community development, economic growth and job creation.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT  RESOLVED, that The U.S. Conference of Mayors commends President Obama and his Administration for the “Strong Cities, Strong Communities” initiative to revitalize American cities and communities economically; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The U.S. Conference of Mayors urges support for this interagency initiative to strengthen ties between federal and local government by leveraging existing assets, providing new resources, and fostering new connections at the local and national level.