By Matt Canham, The Salt Lake Tribune, Published Oct 21, 2010 10:39am
November 8, 2010

Ralph Becker always has a seat at the table when the nation's largest group of mayors presses Congress for more cash or discusses new ways to reduce carbon emissions, but unlike his counterparts in Los Angeles and Philadelphia, Salt Lake City's mayor seems to have little interest in leading the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

Instead, Becker says he's satisfied with his spot on the 27-member advisory board, which helps shape the conference's priorities and present its issues to Congress and the White House.

"It's the leadership team, and it's nice to be a part of that," he said during a recent trip to Washington to meet with congressional staff. "But my biggest concern about all of these things is how much time it takes."

Right now, the association that represents cities with 30,000 people or more is led by Elizabeth Kautz, the mayor of Burnsville, Minn. Next in line is Antonio Villaraigosa, the mayor of Los Angeles. Becker said he was "ambivalent" about rising through the ranks, noting the higher one climbs, the more time he or she must spend on organization efforts.

Becker worries that could take time away from his efforts to work with Utah's members of Congress or push Salt Lake City's interests with federal departments. But being on the advisory board has its perks, including increased access to decision makers in Washington. The group held a lengthy private discussion with Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood in late September, which also touched on the biggest grant programs available to cities.

Becker said his role on the advisory board goes beyond the issues of Salt Lake City. As an example, he said he pressed transportation officials to finish a deal to help fund the Draper light-rail line.

"It is really regional in nature," he said.

And Tom Cochran, executive director of the conference of mayors, likes having Becker there, saying his background as an urban planner has helped the group in its discussions with federal transportation and housing officials.

No other Utah mayor is on a conference board and few are active members of the group, although Salt Lake City has a history of involvement. Former Mayor Deedee Corradini served as the conference's president in 1998, and former Mayor Ted Wilson also was on the advisory board. Becker, in his first term leading Utah's capital city, joined the conference's leadership team in June 2009.

Becker said one of the new goals of the advisory board members is to encourage their counterparts to sign up. One reason to do so, he added, is that the Obama administration has been a city-friendly one.

"One thing that is unique to this administration," Becker said, "is their background and understanding and their sense of being colleagues with mayors."