April 16, 2012

A task force of mayors that will focus on the profound effects that proposed changes in U.S. defense policy can be expected to have in America’s cities has been created by the of the Conference of Mayors President Los Angeles Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa.

With the official end of the U.S. combat role in Iraq and the establishment of a timetable for withdrawal from Afghanistan, the U.S. military is in the process of transitioning from its large'scale traditional force to a smaller, more flexible and mobile force. In this year’s State of the Union address, President Obama described a “new defense strategy that ensures we maintain the finest military in the world, while saving nearly half a trillion dollars in our budget.”

Under the President’s FY 2013 budget proposal, defense spending over the next ten years would be $486.9 billion less than was planned in last year’s budget, with savings realized through “targeted reductions in force structure and modernization; reprioritization of key missions and the requirements that support them; and continued reforms and efficiencies in acquisition, management, and other business practices.” The budget also envisions “a properly aligned infrastructure from which to operate, deploy, and train,” and requests budget authority for the Department of Defense to conduct two additional rounds of base realignment and closure (BRAC), the first commencing in 2013.

And in the absence of Congressional action on federal spending before the end of this year, across-the-board cuts enacted last August under the Budget Control Act will take effect, resulting in defense program cuts of $54.7 billion each year through 2021.

In an April 9 letter to Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton, who has been appointed Chair of the new group, Villaraigosa said, “The nation’s cities will be affected, directly and indirectly, by the transition that is occurring in this nation’s approach to national defense. In this current climate of change, managing the human and economic impact of reduced military/industrial activity or a smaller military presence in and around cities must be recognized as a national goal that is shared by DOD and the local governments affected.”

Villaraigosa wrote that the formation of this task force was “the Conference of Mayors’ response to the need to establish an open channel of communication on transition issues with the Office of the Secretary of Defense. I know that with your leadership, and working with the nation’s mayors, our CEO and Executive Director Tom Cochran and his staff as we move forward in this new era, we will be able to keep abreast of developments that may present both problems and opportunities to our cities’ workforces and economies.”

“We must never lose focus on how important it is to attract high-wage jobs to Phoenix, while fiercely protecting the jobs we have,” Stanton responded. “As chair of this task force, I will work hard with mayors across the country to ensure that if cuts to the Defense budget are made, they are done so in a thoughtful manner that protects jobs and our nation’s security.”

“We welcome Mayor Stanton as chair of the mayors defense transition task force,” said Cochran. “Mayor Stanton brings new energy and new leadership to the defense transition issue as we enter this new era. We look forward to his leadership as mayors around the country lead the charge to make cities more efficient and maximize opportunities for local workforces.”

The initial meeting of the Mayors Defense Transition Task Force will be held during the 80th annual meeting of the Conference of Mayors, June 13-16 in Orlando.