Price mayor joins participants at National League of Cities confab

By Sun Advocate

Price Mayor Joe Piccolo joined 3,500 officials from across the United States to participate in the National League of Cities’ Congress of Cities. At the gathering in Salt Lake City, the delegates discussed homeland security, the economy and key federal policies that can help local government build strong, safe communities.
“Cities and towns need to share innovations and maintain a strong national voice, especially on issues like homeland security and economy,” said NLC President Karen Anderson, Mayor of Minnetonka, Minnesota. “Homeland security is about hometown security. We are the front lines in protecting citizens and fostering a strong economy, and federal government needs to make sure that local government is a full partner on issues that affect the 225 million Americans who live in the communities represented by the National League of Cities.”
At the meeting, the National League of Cities registered its dismay about the failure of Congress and the President to get promised funding for homeland security to local authorities during 2002. “We applaud the creation of a single department to coordinate homeland security,” Anderson said.
“But right now, the federal government needs to share more information with local law enforcement and approve the long-overdue funding for planning, training, equipment, and staffing so we can be prepared for terrorist threats,” said Anderson.
Delegates attending the conference heard from Pulitzer Prize winning journalist David Broder of the Washington Post and a panel of experts who discussed the economy. The NLC conference also presented numerous workshops on such issues as health care, education, youth programs, diversity, transportation, homeland security, and other issues that affect cities and towns. The meeting provides a way for city leaders to share ideas about successful programs and strategies as well as shape NLC’s federal policy.
The National League of Cities is the oldest and largest organization representing municipal governments throughout the United States. The organization has a membership of 1,800 U.S. cities that serve 225 million people across the U.S.