Adler enthusiastic about hosting mayors in June

Having recently returned from a meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington, D.C., Mayor Steve Adler told the Austin Monitor he is looking forward to hosting the group in Austin in mid-June. Adler said the city should expect about 2,000 people, including hundreds of mayors and their staff, to attend the midyear meeting. He spoke enthusiastically about the January meeting, noting the camaraderie amongst mayors of different political parties. He said one of the big takeaways for him was “the contrast between what was happening down the street at the Capitol” – namely the impeachment process, which he described as “very partisan and difficult to watch – and the mayors from around the country gathering in the most bipartisan atmosphere you can imagine. Cities, whether they have a Republican or Democratic mayor, are dealing with the same challenges.” He said cities are all trying to figure out the best way to solve problems like homelessness, housing affordability and mobility. “Everybody’s trying to figure out what is the best thing to do … I would love for five other cities to figure out the answer to the challenges we have so that we could just copy it,” he said. On the other hand, some cities have problems Austin is not facing, such as greatly increased crime and empty buildings. In addition to the Conference of Mayors, Adler is expecting a meeting of North American mayors, which would include mayors from Mexico and Canada as well. “And I also think we will have a meeting of the C40 cities,” a group of mayors working on climate action. It promises to be a busy time.