National League of Cities Announces Bold 2020 Cities Agenda for Building Stronger Communities

WASHINGTON – Today, the National League of Cities (NLC), the voice of American cities, towns and villages, representing more than 200 million people across the country, unveiled a bold agenda to address the issues that keep America’s residents and local elected leaders up at night. NLC’s Leading Together 2020 Cities Agenda, presented by Mayor Eric Garcetti of Los Angeles, California provides a bi-partisan vision for delivering common-sense solutions to help communities thrive. The agenda, unveiled to over 4,000 local elected officials and municipal leaders at NLC’s annual City Summit conference, focuses on four issue areas; building sustainable infrastructure, creating a skilled workforce, ending housing instability and homelessness and reducing gun violence.

The Leading Together 2020 Cities Agenda is a formative, nonpartisan picture of the issues driving conversations in the country. The candidates are already committing to a vision for a stronger and more equitable America and the 2020 Cities Agenda seamlessly fits into their visions. Cities help drive the national economy, creating jobs and opportunity for many to live the American dream.

“What is good for cities, towns and villages is good for all of America,” said NLC President Karen Freeman-Wilson, Mayor, Gary, Indiana. “The 2020 Cities Agenda is the start of something bigger. We want to work with the President in 2020 to bring a spirit of partnership to American politics and governance.”

NLC’s 2020 Presidential Task Force— co-chaired by Hon. Eric Garcetti of Los Angeles and the Hon. Francis Suarez of Miami— brought together a diverse, bipartisan group of local leaders to build the cities agenda and help ensure community issues are uplifted during the 2020 presidential election cycle. Local elected leaders have the duty to uplift the voices of their communities by fostering and promoting solutions to our nation’s most pressing challenges.

“Local leaders may disagree on some issues, but we are united in believing that our nation is strongest when all levels of government work together to protect and advance the priorities of American communities,” said Clarence Anthony, CEO and Executive Director of the National League of Cities.

NLC’s Presidential Task Force recommends that the winner of the 2020 U.S. Presidential election adopt the following four priorities of the Leading Together 2020 Cities Agenda in the first 100 days of their administration:

• Building Sustainable Infrastructure: Much of our nation’s infrastructure is in need of repair, improvement and modernization to meet the demands of the 21st century. By investing strategically, we can ensure that America’s infrastructure will support a stronger economy and withstand extreme weather events.
• Creating a Skilled Workforce: Investing in the American workforce is critical to protecting and expanding our nation’s economic success and ensuring that all people have opportunities to thrive. Because of the diversity of local economies, the federal government needs to empower local workforce solutions, streamline federal funding, and drive new resources to proven approaches in our communities.
• Ending Housing Instability and Homelessness: Housing costs continue to climb in diverse communities across the country, leaving millions of individuals and families without enough money for food, transportation and other basic needs. Effective local responses require multi-sector partnerships and a strong federal partner.
• Reducing Gun Violence: Every day, 100 Americans die because of gun violence, and hundreds more are shot and injured. It’s time for the nation’s elected leaders to work together at all levels to address this crisis by advancing common-sense solutions to protect our communities and our children while ensuring that law-abiding residents maintain their Second Amendment rights.

To view the full Cities Agenda platform, click here. For more information on the formation of the 2020 Election Task Force, click here.