By Debra DeHaney-Howard
February 3, 2003

Burnsville (MN) Mayor Elizabeth Kautz, chair of the Conference's Membership Committee, told panel members January 22 that "membership has grown during the past five years, and that retention rates for existing members have been — and continue to be — very impressive." Positive trends clearly are evident in the numbers of mayors participating in our Annual and Winter meetings, noted Kautz.

Membership recruitment was among several membership issues that were discussed during the committee's January 22 session. "As we move forward with our membership agenda, we have the very real challenge of continuing to grow our membership during this economic recession. Therefore, we must be aggressive in our recruitment and retention efforts, so that we continue to have a strong and united voice in Washington and a large pool of colleagues with whom to network and share ideas," said Kautz.

Kautz also reminded committee members that "we must always look for ways to increase our membership base, and I encourage each of you to serve as Ambassadors and points of contact for recruitment activities in your respective regions."

New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin, who serves as chair of the Conference's Mayors and Business Task Force led a discussion on public and private partnerships. "It is critical that mayors work closely with the private sector to tackle issues that impact both cities and businesses. Creative partnerships will be a major force in shaping the new American city," said Nagin. Committee members were encouraged to join with Mayor Kautz in not only growing the Conference's membership but also the Business Council's membership.

Committee members also heard from Stanley Rolark of the U. S. Census Bureau. Rolark told mayors that the Census 2000 showed that "United States population on April 1, 2000 was 281.4 million, and that over $200 billion is allocated in federal funds based on the census data. And, that's why data collection is critical to the census count." Rolark described the American Community Survey (ACS), a new form that was developed by the Census Bureau to provide demographic, economic, and housing information about America's communities annually. "Cities will benefit from the ACS because it provides local officials accurate, timely, and comparable information for making informed decisions," said Rolark.