LEADERSHIP UPDATE
Colleagues,
As we continue to chart our path forward, 2020 is a landmark year – with a Presidential election and the Census, this year is where we make our voices heard. Today is Our Power, Our Census Day of Action! The 2020 Census is perhaps the most consequential in generations. Getting the count wrong right now will have impacts for the next 10 years on how well-resourced cities, towns and villages are to recover from COVID-19.
We must make sure to have a complete and accurate count, not just for the sake of this year, but for years to come. Find resources your community can use with the NLC Census Toolkit. As our national conversation and movement to break down institutional and systemic racism continues, the results of the 2020 Census are critical to lifting up the representation and voices of these communities.
Sending you strength,
Joe Buscaino
President,
National League of Cities
President Pro Tempore, Los Angeles City Council
MAYORS ON THE FRONTLINES: HONOLULU MAYOR CALDWELL
For many communities and especially a tourist attraction like Honolulu, the stay at home orders that came with the onset of the novel coronavirus was a difficult but necessary decision. Mayor Kirk Caldwell shares how proud he was when his community responded to the time sensitivity of getting in front of COVID-19.
OPPORTUNITIES
NLC University Human-Centered Leadership Initiative
NLCU is focused on research-backed strategies that build the following competencies: self-awareness, self-management, ability to connect, collaborate and communicate with others, ability to motivate others and tackle today’s challenges with clarity and compassion. To meet this need as well as take a whole-person approach to support leaders in not just their leadership but also their wellness, NLCU has launched The Human-Centered Leadership Initiative. To learn more and view program offerings click here.
Safely Reopening Municipal Facilities Toolkit
NLC’s new toolkit, Safely Reopening Municipal Facilities aims to provide guidance and resources on how to safely begin to reopen your community’s facilities. When making decisions about how and when to reopen your public facilities and municipal services, the CDC and your local health officials should be your primary sources of information. NLC is here to help – this set of documents is meant to be practical and adaptable to your community, and will be frequently updated with additional topics and guidelines as cities, towns and villages make decisions on whether to reopen, and how to do so safely.
BEST PRACTICES
Why the 2020 Census is Essential to Municipalities
Getting the count wrong right now will have impacts for the next 10 years on how well-resourced cities, towns and villages are to recover from COVID-19 and in shaping the systems that respond to and rectify institutional and structural racism. The events of 2020 mean that the implications of a fair and accurate 2020 Census have gone from important, to urgent. Read more.
Containing COVID Spread Amidst Reopening and Protests
After shutdowns that devastated local economies, cities and towns across the country are at various stages of reopening since the second week of May. While COVID-19 transmission is declining in many states the highest transmission rates have moved from big cities to the heartlands. Read more.
Introducing a Framework for Reopening Government Departments
Countless written guides exist for re-opening a restaurant, furniture store, salon or gym. These guides are essential aids to the businesspeople who might not otherwise know how to prevent COVID-19 spread. We want these businesses open – albeit safely – to refuel our local economies. Read more.
IN THE NEWS
Everything is local again
Axios – June 15, 2020
NLC says there’s a $360 billion shortfall that’s going to last through 2022
KMB – June 13, 2020
Cassidy advises local officials to lobby Senate for coronavirus aid
Bond Buyer – June 11, 2020