On Final Day of the 90th Annual Meeting, U.S. Conference of Mayors Adopts Policy Priorities for the Coming Year & Elects New Officers

News provided by

Jun 06, 2022, 16:31 ET

Mayors prioritize fight against gun violence and climate change, and promote economic solutions like infrastructure, broadband, and EVs

RENO, Nev., June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On the final day of the U.S. Conference of Mayors' 90th Annual Meeting, mayors gathered to set the Conference agenda and install new Conference officers for the next year. A business meeting Monday morning here in Reno marked the conclusion of an action-packed Annual Meeting, the first in person since 2019.

"It was fantastic to have America's mayors back together in person," said USCM President Miami Mayor Francis Suarez. "The Meeting has reaffirmed that mayors are the ones committed to delivering solutions to the big challenge facing this country. It's impossible not to be inspired by the great leaders of this Conference, and I am grateful to be trusted by my colleagues to lead the organization for another year."

On Friday and Saturday, USCM standing committees met and advanced dozens of policy resolutions, and today they were considered by the full body. Among the resolutions passed, mayors reaffirmed their commitment to addressing the public health crisis of gun violence, calling for universal background checks, a red flag law, and increasing the age to purchase a handgun or assault weapon to 21. All through the Meeting, mayors have shared their experiences with the toll gun violence has taken in their communities, and kept that top of mind going into the final meeting.

Other resolutions adopted today advance policy on issues like climate change, housing, infrastructure, broadband, tourism, electric vehicles, and mental health. These proposals will now serve as official USCM policy and will guide the organization's advocacy efforts for the coming year. You can read more about the committee meetings held over the past several days in these recaps here and here.

Closing out the final meeting, newly elected officers of the Conference were installed. Miami (FL) Mayor Francis Suarez, who has been serving as USCM President since former Dayton (OH) Mayor Nan Whaley left office in January, will continue to serve as Conference President for another full term. Reno (NV) Mayor Hillary Schieve was elected USCM First Vice President, and Columbus (OH) Mayor Andrew Ginther was elected USCM Second Vice President.

New USCM Trustees are as follows: San Diego (CA) Mayor Todd Gloria, St. Louis (MO) Mayor Tishaura Jones, Shreveport (LA) Mayor Adrian Perkins, and Fontana (CA) Mayor Acquanetta Warren. These mayors in addition to the current elected top leaders and past presidents make up the USCM Executive Committee.

New USCM Advisory Board Members are as follows: Cleveland (OH) Mayor Justin Bibb, Cincinnati (OH) Mayor Aftab Pureval, Phoenix (AZ) Mayor Kate Gallego, Orion (MI) Mayor Chris Barnett, Albuquerque (NM) Mayor Tim Keller, Scranton (PA) Paige Cognetti, and San Antonio (TX) Mayor Ron Nirenberg.

Finally, it was announced that the 2024 Annual Meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors will take place in Kansas City, Missouri. As previously announced, next year's Meeting will be in Columbus, Ohio.

About the United States Conference of Mayors -- The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are more than 1,400 such cities in the country today, and each city is represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the mayor. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

SOURCE U.S. Conference of Mayors