February 17, 2003

New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg is creating a citywide, non-emergency government service line. New Yorkers will soon be able to dial 311 from any phone to access information and help on any city government-related issue. Residents will also be able to access the system via mail, email, fax and the Internet. The new system consolidates many city government phone numbers into one, ultimately saving taxpayer dollars. Similar systems are in operation in Chicago, Baltimore, Akron, and Chattanooga.

Lancaster City (PA) Mayor Charlie Smithgall recently hosted a group of regional mayors for a conference on preparing cities for possible terrorist attacks. The mayors discussed incident management, resource allocation, and post-attack recovery. On the need for the conference, Mayor Smithgall said, "If something hits one of our cities, it will affect our whole area. That is why we are doing this regionally."

Las Vegas has joined the U.S. Department of Energy, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., and Plug Power to open the world's first energy station that features hydrogen and electricity. The station can provide fuel for vehicles and generate electrical energy. The five-year project cost nearly $11 million dollars, including research, development of new technologies, and the manufacturing and installation of equipment at the energy station.

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar B. Goodman said, "The city of Las Vegas takes great pride in its leadership role as host of the first-ever integrated hydrogen energy station. We have an existing environmental commitment with our Clean City membership, and showcasing this developing technology on a daily basis is a natural and appropriate extension to our environmental commitment."

Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin has been in office a little more than a year. An African American, she is the first woman mayor of Atlanta and, on taking office, she announced that the city was confronted with a 2002 budget gap of as much as $90 million.

In a front-page article in the February 14th Wall Street Journal, the newspaper chronicles her astounding reversal in ending the year with a $47 million surplus.

The article said her sucess in pushing through job cuts and a tax increase could be "a possible road map for other struggling local governments" in the current sluggish economy.

The 57-year old mayor enjoys widespread popular support for her "share the pain" approach in managing the city of 416,474.

Franklin was reared in Philadelphia, was a volunteer of Maynard Jackson, the first black mayor of a major southern city, and later, chief administrative officer to Mayor Andrew Young in the 1980'sÑcredited with running the city. Her long-term plans, according to the article, include fixing the city's antiquated sewers and improving the meager park system.

An active Conference of Mayors member since taking office, Franklin chairs the Conference Task Force on Travel and Tourism.