“Take Action”: Mayors Promote Gun Safety, Climate Solutions, and More on Day Two of Annual Meeting

Seven standing committees advanced resolutions about protecting and empowering cities and their families and people.

On the second day of the U.S. Conference of Mayors’s 90th Annual Meeting in Reno, mayors continued fighting for policies to protect and empower residents of America’s cities on a busy day in which seven standing committees met about the Conference’s priorities.

Gun safety again topped the agenda, as did climate action, economic security, and public health.

In the morning, mayors convened a special session on “Responding to Mass Shootings.” In attendance were mayors from across the U.S. whose cities have suffered mass shooting events. Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer spoke about his experience leading the city’s response to the 2016 Pulse Nightclub shooting, where 49 people were killed and 53 were wounded. “City leaders must be prepared,” he said to describe how mayors can protect their residents. But also, he went on, “we’re in near consensus that the U.S. Senate must quickly take action on gun safety legislation to save lives.”

“Take action” was a theme across the day’s events, as mayors talked about working on the frontlines of great challenges of the last year and convened for the busiest day for standing committees. These committees advance, propose, debate, and adopt policy resolutions that will be considered by the full membership on the final day of the Annual Meeting, setting the official policy of the Conference for the year ahead.

Here is a summary of what transpired at Saturday’s seven standing committee meetings.

1. CLIMATE ACTION. Following Friday’s climate awards ceremony, the Environment standing committee met and adopted resolutions that advanced mayors’ long-held commitment to locally driven solutions to fight climate change and make cities more resilient. Later, the committee held a special climate roundtable on climate financing to explore how cities can invest to make their communities greener and healthier.
2. CITIES AS ECONOMIC ENGINES. The Metro Economies standing committee discussed the impact of rising costs on the country’s economic outlook and the investments needed to promote greater opportunity, such as with broadband technology. Members of the committee adopted 15 resolutions, including ones to reiterate the importance of cities having flexibility in how they can use American Rescue Plan Act funds as well as innovative new ideas like a proposal to create a new retirement savings system for middle and low-income families. The committee’s meeting followed yesterday’s release of the 2022 Metro Economies Report from the Conference. Among its many findings: cities accounted for 94.1% of GDP growth and 90.7% of employment growth in 2021.
3. GLOBAL LEADERSHIP. At International Affairs, the standing committee unanimously advanced all six of its resolutions, including one in support for Ukrainian refugees. After voting, the committee members heard presentations about mayoral leadership on climate action and on cities’ relationships with Japan and Israel.
4. ART FOR ALL’S SAKE. Another six resolutions were unanimously accepted at the Tourism, Arts, Parks, Entertainment, and Sports standing committee, including one on federal funding for local arts. Then, mayors heard how art can support health, attract tourists, deploy next-generation technology like non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and promote economic development through events like Nevada’s Burning Man festival.
5. WELCOME HOME. At Community Development and Housing, mayors advanced 19 resolutions about building strong cities people can call home. For example, the committee called for more federal funds for affordable housing. “Cities all across the country are struggling to manage chronic rates of homelessness and a lack of affordable housing…We’re facing a national emergency and local resources alone cannot combat homelessness,” said Portland, Oregon Mayor Ted Wheeler.
6. BETTER CONNECTIONS. At Transportation and Communications, the standing committee members accepted 10 resolutions, including ones on improving broadband internet access and improving local and interstate transit. Then, mayors heard about impending federal grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation, and they welcomed Amtrak’s Stephen Gardner. He described how the nation’s commuter railway plans to grow and improve its service with investment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
7. HEALTHY CITIES. Finally, mayors gathered for the Children, Health and Human Services standing committee, and they advanced 15 resolutions with a focus on expanding federal nutrition programs. Gun violence was discussed here too, with an in-depth conversation between the committee’s chair, Mayor Levar Stoney of Richmond, VA, and Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard of Mount Vernon, NY, and Mayor Darrell Steinberg of Sacramento, CA. Mayors then heard about the need for research on long COVID, in a presentation from the chief health officer of Kaiser Permanente.

The 90th Annual Meeting continues Sunday with appearances from special guests Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge and U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy.