By Erin Wenglekowski
June 27, 2005

Angelo D. Kyle, Lake County (IL) Board Member, National Association of Counties (NACo) President, greeted the nation's mayors June 13, at the Conference of Mayors Plenary session.

Kyle spoke of the important relationship between NACo and the Conference of Mayors and how they have been working side by side in defending one of the most productive programs that serves our communities, the Community Development Block Grant program (CDBG). He reported that, "Funds have been included in the appropriations bills relevant to CDBG," however the "fight is not over until the numbers are final and a bill is signed."

Kyle assured the Conference that NACo would continue to stand by the nation's mayors "in watching for and defending our mutual interests." He identified many key legislative priorities" in which the Conference of Mayors and NACo are actively engaged: Health Care Financing, Remote Sales Tax Collection, Surface Transportation Reauthorization, Social Service and Workforce Legislation, a rewrite of the Telecommunications Act, and Opposition to Unfunded Mandates and Preemptions.

In closing, Kyle reminisced on his Presidency at NACo, and reported that three initiatives he identified as priorities would be, "Ongoing even as I leave the presidency at NACo...increasing home ownership, reducing disparities in health care, and encouraging counties to share applications and technology information." He encouraged the mayors to continue to work with NACo and avowed together we shall prevail.