Mayor Nutter was elected second vice president of the US Conference of Mayors today, which means he should be president in 2012. Here's the release:
BP OIL SPILL IN THE GULF OF MEXICO, IMMIGRATION, AND JOBS TOP AGENDA AT ANNUAL MAYORS GATHERING IN OKLAHOMA CITY
Oklahoma City – As the 78th Annual Meeting of The U.S. Conference of Mayors wraps up in Oklahoma City, mayors in America have come together at the Cox Convention Center to debate and vote on policy resolutions that impact working families all across the country. In the business session of the final day of the annual gathering, two resolutions garnered more attention than the other 88 resolutions combined.
Mayors passed unanimously by voice vote a resolution on the BP Oil Spill in The Gulf of Mexico put forth by the mayors of Baton Rouge, LA and Tallahassee, FL. Discussed on Sunday, June 13th at an emergency session with mayors from Gulf Coast cities, the resolution calls for stepped up federal efforts to access, mitigate and recover from the environmental and economic damage of this disaster, and calls for the Administration to work closely with mayors and other local officials in all phases of the national response.
And after much discussion, the mayors passed, by strong majority, a resolution that supports comprehensive immigration reform, as well as one that opposes the new Arizona Immigration Law. Both resolutions were highlighted in a panel discussion on immigration with Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who is the Conference's Vice President, Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon, Trenton, NJ Mayor Doug Palmer and Janet Murguia, President and CEO of The National Council of La Raza.
The final package of adopted resolutions will be posted at www.usmayors.org, and will be forwarded to Congress and the Administration in the hopes of shaping federal legislation.
Conference President Burnsville, MN Mayor Elizabeth Kautz, encouraged Congress to work on pressing matters that challenge everyday Americans. "It is time for federal action. We urgently call on both parties to lay down their political swords and work together for the common good of families who are struggling to make ends meet," Kautz stated.
In addition to debating and voting on national policy, mayors heard from two top Administration officials, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius who introduced First Lady Obama's Let's Move Cities and Towns initiative, as well as U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, who addressed the mayors on the availability of government assistance for Small Businesses to aid in job creation in cities and local communities.
Speaking about the state of the economy, Mayor Kautz commented, "If this country is indeed emerging from a recession as national economists say, many, many people in our cities don't feel it. The jobs picture in our cities is still dire, and we need immediate federal action to make sure the recovery arrives on Main Street."
In unemployment numbers released during the meeting, 148 of the nation's 363 metropolitan areas will still have unemployment rates above 10 percent by the end of this year, with 110 metro areas facing double-digit unemployment by the end of 2011. And most center cities will have much higher unemployment rates than these figures.
The mayors also elected new leadership. Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter was named Second Vice President, which puts him on the path to the Presidency of the organization in 2012
New trustees were also named: Mayor James Brainard of Carmel, IN, Mayor Frank Cownie of Des Moines, IA, Mayor Bob Foster of Long Beach, CA, and Mayor Scott Smith of Meza, AZ. Thirteen trustees, along with the top three officers (President, Vice President and Second Vice President), as well as the Past Presidents, make up the Executive Committee that constitutes the leadership of the organization and determines its direction.
Six new Advisory Board members, who serve in an advisory capacity to the Executive Committee were also elected: Mayor Buddy Dyer of Orlando, FL, Mayor Kevin Johnson of Sacramento, CA, Mayor Lori Moseley of Miramar, FL, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake of Baltimore, MD, Mayor Jennie Stultz of Gastonia, NC, and Mayor Ashley Swearengin of Fresno, CA.
The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are 1,204 such cities in the country today. Each city is represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the mayor. More information about the Conference is available at usmayors.org. Video of the 78th Annual Conference of Mayors is available now at www.usmayors.org.