Celebrating America's Mayors for Leadership in Health

Adopted at the 91st Annual Meeting in 2023

  • WHEREAS, everyone, in every city, deserves the opportunity to live the healthiest possible life; and

    WHEREAS, intentional and equitable policymaking is one of the most important tools local governments can use to increase access to healthy choices and improve the lives of their residents; and

    WHEREAS, mayors are at the forefront of critical efforts to bring health and wellness to Americans in cities all across the country; and

    WHEREAS, mayors are encouraged to implement evidence-based policies and programs that have been shown to improve people's health and quality of life, including:
    • High-quality, universal pre-kindergarten, giving children a better chance to succeed in school;
    • Access to housing that is affordable, stable, and of high quality, so that people of all income levels can achieve and maintain good health;
    • Complete streets allow city residents to safely walk, roll, bike, drive, and take public transit around their community;
    • Common sense substance use policies that reduce crime, increase safety, and reduce spending on health care and criminal justice;
    • Healthy food procurement policies that ensure healthy food options are available on public property;
    • Efforts to curb tobacco and nicotine use among young adults;
    • Reasonable paid sick leave laws that can reduce the spread of contagious illnesses, increase employment and income stability, and save cities money in healthcare costs;
    • Smoke-free air laws that protect non-smokers from secondhand smoke and reduce smokers' consumption of tobacco;
    • Greenspace policies that increase access to parks and tree canopy, improving residents' mental and physical health and combating extreme weather conditions; and
    • Eco-friendly procurement policies that ensure access to clean non-toxic cleaners, furnishings, and foodware in city spaces; and
    WHEREAS, CityHealth, an initiative of the de Beaumont Foundation and Kaiser Permanente, is providing cities with the tools, resources, and support they need, irrespective of structural challenges, to ensure all people have a safe place to live, a healthy body and mind, and a thriving environment; and

    WHEREAS, CityHealth celebrates and recognizes mayors that are championing policy innovations to improve the health of those who call their cities home, honoring them with gold, silver, and bronze medals for their policy change efforts;

    NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the United States Conference of Mayors supports the goal for cities to pursue strong evidence-based and evidence-informed policies that lead to healthier residents and improved quality of life.
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