Indianapolis' Peterson to Be Elected President of National League of Cities Mayor to Lead National Dialogue on Crime, Jobs, Federal Funding, Homelessn

9 December 2006

Indianapolis, Ind., Mayor Bart Peterson is expected to be elected tomorrow (Saturday, Dec. 9) as president of the National League of Cities (NLC), the nation's oldest and largest organization representing municipal governments. The election -- involving thousands of leaders from cities and towns across the country -- will occur during the NLC Congress of Cities in Reno, Nev.

Peterson's leadership of the NLC, which represents 19,000 U.S. cities and 218 million people, puts him at the forefront of a national discussion over the needs of urban areas across the country. Peterson has also served as NLC first and second vice president, as well as on NLC's Board of Directors. He has also chaired NLC's Institute for Youth, Education and Families.

"Most Americans live in cities, and we are the first responders, first providers and the level of government closest to the people," Peterson said. "As such, cities must be at the forefront of national and state policies. I look forward to being a strong voice for Indianapolis and other cities across our state and country."

Major topics of concerns for cities in the coming year include crime, jobs, federal funding, homelessness, and the economic health of America's cities and towns. Peterson also will introduce the topic of media violence, its exposure to young children and possible links to juvenile crime, and the role that mayors and city officials can play in protecting vulnerable youth.

Throughout his first term as Indianapolis mayor, Peterson has been active both locally and nationally in efforts to underscore the important role cities play in ensuring a vibrant quality of life for their citizens. Through NLC, he served as an Early Childhood Successes Champion, and is the Board liaison to the NLC Corporate Partners Program. He has also chaired the U.S. Conference of Mayors' Arts, Culture & Recreation Committee; served as president of the Indiana Association of Cities & Towns, and the Indiana Metropolitan Mayors Association, which advocated in the Indiana General Assembly for the state's 20 largest cities.

In 2004, Peterson and Indianapolis hosted NLC's Congress of Cities, which brought thousands of municipal officials to the city. In addition, Indianapolis today won NLC's Silver Award for Municipal Excellence for its Falls Creek Place housing redevelopment project.

Former Indianapolis mayors Richard Lugar and William Hudnut have also served as NLC president during their tenure as the city's mayor.

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Source: usnewswire

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