Tampa Mayor Jane Castor speaking at the Tampa Convention Center on Nov.13, 2024. (Photo by Mitch Perry/ Florida Phoenix)
Should mayors and city administrators be concerned when it comes to federal support for issues like climate change, affordable housing, and public safety now that the Republican Party will claim complete control in Washington in January?
No one is admitting to that publicly at the National League of Cities (NLC) Summit — but one official acknowledged it is something the more than 4,000 mayors and city officials that have gathered this week in Tampa are pondering.
“I can tell you that we spend a year preparing for this moment, regardless of the outcome of this election,” said David Sander, mayor of the northern California city of Rancho Cordova and president of the National League of Cities, responding to a question the Phoenix posed to him on Wednesday.
That includes a presidential election task force report that Sander said allows the NLC to prepared to work with what will now be a Donald Trump administration starting in January.
Under President Joe Biden, state and local governments have received financial and technical support on issues like climate change through laws like the Inflation Reduction Act. It’s questionable whether any such efforts will take place in the next couple of years under complete GOP control of Washington, but NLC officials weren’t keen to discuss that while engaging with the media.
“The NLC is a nonpartisan organization,” said NLC CEO & executive director Clarence Anthony. “Our mission is to focus on city issues, issues that may impact the residents that live in cities. And so, we have a 100-day plan that we will work with the Trump administration to be able to align our mission and policies with those that they may have an interest in, and we’ll work with that administration.”
“We’re committed to housing,” Anthony added. “We’re committed to environmental policy that’s outlined in our national municipal policy. And so, we look forward to staying focused on our mission and our values, and I think that’s where we’re going to go.”
‘This bill is essential’
Following the devastation from hurricanes Helene and Milton that hit Florida and other parts of the Southeast this fall, the NLC in partnership with the U.S. Conference of Mayors and other organizations recently sent a letter to Congress urging passage of a comprehensive, clean, emergency disaster supplemental bill with additional funding for FEMA, the Small Business Administration, and several other government agencies. Members of the Florida congressional delegation made a similar request before the election, but Speaker of the House Mike Johnson said that could be handled after the election.
“This bill is essential, and I mean, truly essential, for helping communities impacted by more than 160 major disaster declarations since 2023. Including Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton,” said Steve Patterson, the mayor of Athens, Ohio.
“NLC’s advocacy targets essential programs like FEMA’s public assistance program, the Department of Transportation’s Emergency Assistance program for highways and roads, and HUD’s community development block grant disaster recovery grant program, among many others.”
Patterson also went on to recognize the “fundamental role” that the National Flood Insurance Program plays in helping communities affected by flooding and said the NLC is “rigorously lobbying” Congress for its “swift reauthorization,” as well.
Harassment
Tacoma, Washington, Mayor Victoria Woodards acknowledged how the nation had just endured one of the most contentious election cycles in U.S. history and said an updated NLC survey found that 89% of mayors, city council members, and city managers had experienced some form of harassment on social media on during public meetings as well as at their homes.
“Local officials face everything from racist, homophobic attacks online, to city council meetings that devolve into screaming matches,” she said, adding that the NLC is about to release a report on how to rebuild trust and improve civil discourse in local communities.
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor thanked the NLC for “sticking with us through all of these years of delays and planning, but I do believe as I said before that the wait was certainly worth it.”
The conference continues until Saturday.