By Ed Somers
July 4, 2011

“Every item we have been promoting through our Metro Agenda for America is designed to save and create jobs, especially in the private sector — which is the true engine of our economy.”

This was the theme as outgoing Conference of Mayors President Mayor Elizabeth B. Kautz reported to her colleagues on her 18-month tenure on June 18.

Kautz thanked the mayors for their hard work, which she said has yielded results.

“We ended up with a 16 percent reduction, but because of your efforts we stopped a very real 62.5 percent cut to CDBG,” the mayor said.

On the priority of climate protection and energy independence, the Mayor thanked the more than 1,050 cities that have signed The U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection agreement, and have worked hard to implement the Energy Block Grant.

“The Energy Block Grant has helped cities leverage private investments, and achieve the results our national leaders have been unable to accomplish,” Kautz added.

In the area of transportation, Kautz said, “Transportation Secretary LaHood now supports more of the funding going directly to cities.”

She also touched on promoting small business. “With our help, Congress passed a 30 billion dollar investment package that is restoring the flow of capital to our nation’s very important small businesses.”

Kautz thanked the mayors for helping secure passage of the Travel Promotion Act, estimated to help attract 1.6 million new international visitors, create over 40,000 new jobs, and generate $4 billion in new economic activity.

“On unfunded mandates, we have so far stopped the Federal Communications Commission from undermining our local management and compensation. And we have started to get the attention of EPA to slow down the ever-expanding list of unfunded mandates that fail to account for local priorities,” mayor Kautz added.

But the mayor also spoke to challenges that threaten the metro agenda.

“If Congress and the Administration cannot reach agreement on the debt, pressure will increase to make even deeper cuts in domestic priorities — which only account for 12 percent of the federal budget. Think about this. The House just approved a 50 percent cut in homeland security grants for next year. If they will go after homeland security funding, what can we expect for CDBG, COPS, transportation, and other domestic priorities,” Kautz said.

She added that, “We cannot let Washington just pass the buck, and pay for years of inaction on the backs of the local property tax payer.”

“The road ahead may be rocky — but I have great faith in my fellow mayors, and this organization, to continue to lead by example,” she said.

In closing, Kautz thanked her colleagues and the Conference staff for their support and work, and pledged to support the new leadership of incoming President Los Angeles Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa and Philadelphia Mayor Vice President Michael A. Nutter.