by Donald J. Borut

If you want to showcase America?s most effective and responsive government, look no further than our local governments and the local elected officials who serve.

This week more than 3,500 municipal officials from across the nation will be meeting in Reno, Nev., at NLC?s Congress of Cities to learn from each other, share information on programs that work, agree on critical priorities and affirm that in-your-face partisanship is not a requirement for making good public policy. Indeed, the importance of fundamental civility in governance as reflected at the local level appears to have been part of the message delivered to our leaders in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 7.

The Congress of Cities provides a forum for those with shared responsibilities, shared commitment to public service, as well as diverse political perspectives and philosophies to engage with colleagues for the purpose of improving the opportunities and quality of life for the citizens in their communities.

This idea is personified in NLC President Jim Hunt?s year-long leadership in promoting the Partnership for Working Toward Inclusive Communities, which will be highlighted at the conference. The idea will also be reflected in the opening general session at the conference with a joint presentation by two former Secretaries of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Henry Cisneros, a Democrat, and Jack Kemp, a Republican, who share a common vision and commitment to creating quality housing for all.

To survive and be effective, local elected officials must be pragmatic realists which is why the Congress of Cities is designed as a forum to share innovative ideas to help cities solve problems. It addresses both substantive program areas such as storm water management, mass transit investment, and municipal broadband services, as well as the critical challenges of long-term funding of municipal services, preparing for possible outbreak of avian and pandemic flu and responding to the growing needs of the aging population.

Equally important are the opportunities at the conference to build skills, be challenged on new ways of leading communities and engaging with citizens, and simply talking with colleagues who are confronting the same or similar challenges.

The conference also provides a forum for the leaders of local government to reflect on the mid-term Congressional elections and the impact the changes in leadership might have on cities. Importantly, though, it has been the hallmark and unique strength of NLC that we rarely, if ever, divide along partisan lines as we develop national municipal policy. Instead, regardless of which party is in the majority in Congress, NLC and our members will advocate for federal actions and directions that will strengthen our communities. Our focus with the 110th Congress will be the same ? to promote and protect the interests of cities with all members of Congress regardless of their political affiliation.  

To better gauge the specific needs, interests and priorities of the NLC membership as we set our federal advocacy agenda for the 110th Congress, we have built into the conference an interactive process for instantaneous electronic feedback from our members. In addition to the substantive information it will generate for NLC, the process will demonstrate a tool that some communities are already using to promote greater citizen involvement and communication with elected officials.

For me, the Congress of Cities is fundamentally a coming together of the family of local elected officials to celebrate the importance of responsive local government and to recognize and affirm to each other the value of public service at the local level. Especially in these politically charged times, local government and those who serve deserve a moment with colleagues to be appreciated.