Mayors Bill de Blasio and Kevin Johnson Announce Mayoral Task Force to Tackle Inequality in America’s Cities

At the 82nd annual U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) meeting yesterday, Mayor Bill de Blasio and USCM President and Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson announced the Cities of Opportunity Task Force. Chaired by Mayor de Blasio, the task force will bring together mayors from across the nation to leverage the power of municipal governments to advance a national, common equity agenda.

“We are living in a time of rising inequality and declining opportunity – this is a threat to our fundamental values and an obstacle to the nation’s economic growth.  Mayors are starting to respond to this crisis, and this task force is going to organize and focus the progressive ideas coming out of cities across the U.S., and put city issues back on the national agenda,” said New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. “Cities are the problem solvers and the centers of innovation. As Mayors, we are on the front lines. It is our responsibility to create more opportunities for our citizens and more equitable cities.”

“The purpose of cities is to lift up residents and build a community and economy that works for everyone,” said USCM President and Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson. “That means having a higher minimum wage, expanding the supply of affordable housing and ensuring every child has access to Pre-K. I’m pleased the USCM is tackling these issues head-on by forming a task force called “Cities of Opportunity,” chaired by NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio.”

The year-long task force will develop and share governing methodologies to empower cities to make equity a central governing principle; explore how municipal powers are best used to advance an equity agenda and how cities can work together to produce the most meaningful impact; and catalogue potential tools– such as overall budget decisions, purchasing power, regulatory controls, and procurement policies – and offer a set of best practices for using these levers of municipal government to drive greater equality and opportunity.

The task force will develop an action plan for cities to take action in developing aggressive equity agendas and implement real change. This plan will include real, practical tools and best practices – both previously executed and newly developed by the task force – which cities can use to make the most equitable decisions that they can, with the powers that they have, to create more equitable cities.

Photo c/o The Daily News

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