September 8, 2003

In their summer annual meeting, The New York State Conference of Mayors installed new officers. The new officers are: President — Mayor Eugene Murray, Village of Rockville Centre; First Vice President — Mayor Richard Bucci, City of Binghamton, Second Vice President - Mayor Frank Pagano, Vilage of Fredonia; Treasurer — Mayor Gerald Jennings, City of Albany. The Conference of Mayors represents 570 cities and villages in New York State ranging from the smallest village to the City of New York. NYCOM has been in existence since 1910.

Atlanta, including mayors past and present, is very much in the news recently.

The Sept. 3 New York Times ran a lengthy (and favorable) profile on Mayor Shirley Franklin and the daunting problems she faces with such issues as homelessness, budget shortfalls, and other areas on any large cities urban agenda.

Franklin is the first black Woman to run any major city in the South. A 58-year old Democrat, she worked for the late Mayor Maynard Jackson in the 1970's and, as the story notes, ran the city in the 1980's as chief administrative officer for the then-Mayor Andrew Young. One of her other major priorities is to help alleviate a massive infrastructure improvement task in the city.

On August 15, the New York Times wrote another profile — this time on former Mayor Young, suggesting that — thirteen years after leaving elective office — Young may run for the U.S. Senate seat in Georgia to replace retiring Democratic Senator Zell Miller. Young was also ambassador to the United Nations from 1977 to 1979 during the Presidency of Jimmy Carter, a former governor of Georgia.