California Governor Gavin Newsom (left) speaks with USCM President and Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt (right) and USCM Vice President and San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria (center) at the USCM 94th Annual Meeting in Long Beach, CA.
In Long Beach, California, 200+ bipartisan mayors convene to set priorities for year ahead, hear from leaders including California Governor Gavin Newsom.
Long Beach, CA – Today, America’s mayors kicked off the 94th Annual Meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM). More than 200 bipartisan mayors gathered in Long Beach, California, to discuss the nation’s most pressing challenges and highlight how cities continue to deliver practical solutions and measurable results, even as Washington remains mired in partisan gridlock.
“America’s mayors are this country’s greatest political leaders,” said USCM President and Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt in the meeting’s opening plenary. He celebrated mayors’ progress on public safety and housing affordability.
Mayoral leadership also received recognition and praise from California Governor Gavin Newsom, who joined Mayor Holt and USCM Vice President and San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria for a discussion on the main stage.
“People demand results,”said Governor Newsom, the former mayor of San Francisco. “Values matter and are part of the economic proposition that I think defines not just the best of California, but the best of the work you do in cities and metros, which are the economic engine of the United States of America.”
Mayors promoted the role of cities as engines of innovation and problem-solving. That theme was evident in a session on public safety, “Current Issues in Policing,” led by Fresno (CA) Mayor Jerry Dyer and Providence (RI) Mayor Brett Smiley, co-chairs of the Conference’s Mayors and Police Chiefs Task Force. During the session, mayors explored how emerging technologies in law enforcement can help law enforcement improve public safety while protecting privacy.
“Public safety is foundational to any government – whether it is federal, state, or local government – but perhaps more so at the local level where people really depend on us to keep them safe,” said Mayor Dyer.
At each Annual Meeting, mayors set the Conference’s agenda for the year ahead, adopting policy resolutions on the gathering’s final day. On Thursday, mayors began advancing resolutions on housing, safety, and economic development.
- Community Development and Housing Standing Committee: Mayors passed ten resolutions in favor of affordable housing programs, including historic bipartisan legislation making its way through Congress. “Mayors are a critical force in addressing the nation’s housing supply shortage,” said Cincinnati (OH) Mayor Aftab Pureval, who led the meeting. “We made housing the top priority for our organization here at the Conference. And our efforts have led to the most significant piece of federal housing legislation in two decades.”
- Criminal and Social Justice Standing Committee: Led by Kansas City (MO) Mayor Quinton Lucas, committee members adopted 11 resolutions on safety, gun crime, political violence, and maintaining local control of elections. Mayors then heard from Robert Cekada, the director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). “This committee … is attacking some of the most pressing and politically consequential issues we face,” said Mayor Lucas.
- Energy Standing Committee: Led by committee chair and Mesa Mayor Mark Freeman, mayors adopted three resolutions on energy access and affordability. Mayors and local energy officials discussed how data centers are straining local electrical grids. “While these projects bring economic opportunity, they also raise important questions for local government, utilities, businesses and residents,” Mayor Freeman said. “It’s affected Arizona, making sure we have the right amount of power for our city and economic growth.”
- Metro Economies Standing Committee: The committee, run by Fort Worth (TX) Mayor Mattie Parker, advanced resolutions promoting key pieces of an affordability agenda, urging the federal government to invest in affordable housing, healthcare, child care and infrastructure, so families can afford to stay in the communities they call home.
The 94th Annual Meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors continues through Sunday.