National League of Cities heads to the conventions

The leaders of the National League of Cities (NLC) are headed to both the Republican and Democratic National Conventions to spread the needs of cities to federal counterparts. Local leaders continue to foster innovation and economic development in their communities, but the slow economic recovery still hampers city leaders who were required to respond to the poor economy with deep service cuts. While cities won’t be a major focal point at either convention, a spokesman for the NLC notes that organization leaders will be working to build new relationships.

Cities have increasingly been utilizing public-private-partnerships in order to meet city needs during historically tight budget cycles. However, NLC leaders say that both parties need to use the conventions to present viable plans in order to grow the nation’s economy and restore vital services. National League of Cities President, Ted Ellis, and Mayor of Bluffton, IN, will be attending both conventions with the aim of expressing these goals to federal leaders.

“We want to ensure that cities are part of the conversation,” says NLC spokesman Gregory Minchak.

The NLC also plans to release its annual report on the fiscal health of cities in September, just before its own national conference in November.