By Jocelyn Bogen
February 13, 2012

With a wide range of programs eligible, The United States Conference of Mayors and Waste Management launched the mayor’s race for the honor of calling themselves a 2012 City Livability Awards Program winner. The program has begun with the mailing of the application and guidelines to mayors of cities of 30,000 or more.

“For the past 32 years, the City Livability Awards Program has been one of the most competitive programs sponsored by The U.S. Conference of Mayors. Each year hundreds of mayors and their city governments submit applications with a wide range of programs to compete for the honor of calling themselves a City Livability Award winner. I would like to thank Waste Management, Inc. for their two decades of support in honoring and giving national attention to mayoral excellence. And it is through this partnership that we are able to continue to salute the mayors who have developed innovative and successful programs that improve the quality of life for city residents,” said Conference of Mayors President Los Angeles Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa.

For the past 22 years, Waste Management has partnered with the Conference of Mayors to honor mayors and their cities for outstanding programs that contribute to the quality of life of their citizens. Waste Management Chief Executive Officer David Steiner added, “Waste Management is the largest environmental solutions provider in North America, serving nearly 20 million municipal, commercial and industrial customers in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. We are developing waste solutions for a changing world. This includes not just disposal and recycling, but sustainability services that help customers achieve their green goals, including zerowaste. We are making investments in technologies that will change the way our waste is managed and that will extract the highest value from the materials that pass through our hands. The City Livability Awards is a reflection of our values and commitment – identifying new and innovative ideas that make our communities better places to live in.”

Participating cities will submit an initial application of 500 words, due on Friday, March 9 (deadline has been extended), which briefly describes their program and indicates when and why it was created, how it has improved the quality of life of the community, and why it is outstanding or innovative.

From these initial applications, about 20 finalist cities in each of two population categories will be selected. These finalist cities will then submit a more detailed application, due on April 27. An independent panel of judges will select the winners in May. Award winners will be announced in June at the 80th Annual Conference of Mayors in Orlando.

The 20 City Livability Awards are presented in two population categories – ten awards to cities of less than 100,000 people, ten for cities of 100,000 or more.

Every municipality in the United States is eligible to nominate one or more city government programs in any policy area, regardless of whether the municipality has applied for or received a City Livability Award in previous years. All programs initiated by the city government are eligible, including those developed and implemented in cooperation with private sector and/or community group participation.

March 9: Initial Applications Due

March 23: Announcement of Finalist Cities

April 27: Finalists’ Applications Due

June 2012: City Livability Awards Announced in Orlando at 80th Annual Conference of Mayors