Representatives from the National League of Cities, the United States Conference of Mayors and the National Association of Counties, along with Congress members, recently gathered for a briefing and roundtable on local infrastructure.
Utah state Sen. Curt Bramble (R-Provo), representing the National Conference of State Legislators, said there cannot be a “one-size fits all” solution to fix the nation’s infrastructure problems.
He emphasized flexibility and use of both federal funding and municipal bonds to fund projects.
Cleveland Councilman and President of the National League of Cities Matt Zone (D), Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett (R), and Ramsey County, Minnesota Commissioner Jim McDonough spoke about the importance of local government involved in infrastructure decisions.
The states’ perspective on infrastructure was provided by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), member of the Joint Economic Committee, and Sam Graves (R-MO), chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
Following the briefing, a roundtable was hosted by representatives from the International City/County Manager Association and the National Governors Association to discuss regulations.
Leading the discussion was Val Demings (D-FL), member of the House Government Affairs Committee, Subcommittee on Intergovernmental Affairs, and Gary Palmer (R-AL), chairman of the committee.
Rep. Mark Desaulnier (D-CA) spoke about partnerships between local and state governments to improve the nation’s infrastructure.