Mayor Walsh appointed to leadership position with US Conference of Mayors

Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced he has been appointed to be a member of the Board of Trustees, the top tier of leadership positions within the US Conference of Mayors, which is currently hosting its 86th annual meeting in Boston. The Trustees guide the organization's work for the coming year, from connecting mayors to share ideas and tackle common challenges, setting a robust policy agenda at the national level, and elevating mayors' voices on issues that face cities every day.  

As part of the conference, over 250 mayors met in Boston, beginning on Friday, to discuss a wide variety of priorities that contribute to the overall health of America's cities, as well as consider and adopt the policy resolutions that guide the advocacy agenda of the organization.

"It is an honor to be named to the Board of Trustees for the US Conference of Mayors, and I thank USCM President Mayor Benjamin, Second Vice President Mayor Barnett, Director Cochran and members of the USCM nominating committee for their support," said Mayor Walsh. "This conference has been a very productive gathering of leaders from across the nation, who are forging a new national conversation with a unified voice, putting our best ideas forward to lead the way in solving America's toughest challenges. As mayors, the issues facing our country are not political distractions to us, they are our daily to do list. It has been an honor to host the mayors in Boston because at this moment in America's history, cities are leading the way."

Mayor Walsh continues to lead on issues of housing, substance use recovery, and equity here in Boston, and among his colleagues nationwide. He currently serves as Chair of the Substance Use, Prevention and Recovery Task Force, as well as Chair of the Community Development and Housing Standing Committee.

As part of the conference, Mayor Walsh sponsored nine resolutions, all of which were passed through their respective committees. These resolutions keep a sharp focus on these topics and help push the national conversation towards collaborative solutions cities can do locally, while advocating for strong partnerships between cities and our federal leaders.

The resolutions, and the committee they were processed through, include:

Children, Health, and Human Services Committee

#3 - Support Direct Federal Funding to Cities to Provide Substance Use Disorder Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services

#5 - In Support of the Firefighter Cancer Registry Act

Community Development & Housing Committee

#15 - Supporting the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program

#16 - Supporting the HOME Investment Partnership Program

#18 - Supporting HUD's Homeless Assistance Programs

#21 - Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Fair Housing Act

#22 - Support the Opportunity Starts at Home Campaign

Tourism, Arts, Parks, Entertainment, and Sports

#74- Supporting Cultural Equity

Transportation & Communications

#10 - Celebrating America's Mayors Who Make Health Policy a First-Tier Solution to Municipal Challenges

The final language for each resolution can be found here.

The Mayors collectively proposed and passed a resolution thanking Mayor Walsh for hosting the 86th meeting of the US Conference of Mayors.

About USCM

The Conference holds its Winter Meeting each January in Washington, D.C. and an Annual Meeting each June in a different U.S. city. Additional meetings and events are held as directed by the Conference leadership. Conference members speak with a united voice on organizational policies and goals. Mayors contribute to the development of national urban policy by serving on one or more of the conference's standing committees. Conference policies and programs are developed and guided by an Executive Committee and Advisory Board, as well as the standing committees and task forces which are formed to meet changing needs.

During the Conference's Annual Meeting in June, standing committees recommend policy positions they believe should be adopted by the organization. The policy positions adopted at the annual meeting collectively represent the views of the nation's mayors and are distributed to the President of the United States and Congress. In addition to the ongoing work of the Conference's standing committees, mayors are organized into task forces to examine and act on issues that demand special attention such as civic innovation, economic mobility, hunger and homelessness, and infrastructure. Learn more about the conference here.