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NASHVILLE, Tenn. – In his fifth State of Metro address, Mayor Karl Dean today announced a fiscal year 2012-2013 operating budget that moves the city forward by investing in schools and public safety, while also reducing the overall budget for other Metro departments by $3 million.
Additionally, Dean is proposing to adjust the property tax rate upward for the first time during his tenure, saying a 53 cent increase would generate about $100 million in new annual revenue. The impact on a typical Nashville homeowner would be approximately $16 a month, or $192 a year, using the Greater Nashville Association of Realtors’ median home price of $145,400.
“I refuse to be the mayor who turns back the clock on public safety and education,” Dean said. “I choose to continue our forward momentum.”
In Dean’s proposed $1.71 billion budget, the new revenue would allow the city to continue to invest in education and hire up to 100 new teachers, increase the starting salary of new hires from $35,000 to $40,000 and add two new non-traditional schools.
When it comes to public safety, the new revenue would allow the city to retain 50 police officers first hired with a federal COPS grant, provide staff and equipment to operate a new DNA crime lab and fund two new positions in the District Attorney’s office to specifically handle domestic violence cases.
“No mayor wants to stand up and talk about raising taxes,” Dean said. “But we’re not Washington. We can’t run a deficit, and we can’t print money. The easy answer, the political answer to our situation, would be to let the city go backwards, make Draconian cuts and frame the consequences with some anti-tax mantra.”
The tax rate adjustment also would allow the city to invest in employees by giving nearly all Metro workers – about 95 percent of them – a 4 percent salary increase. Department heads and some senior managers would get a lower 2 percent increase.
Without the property tax increase, “We could lay off 200 police officers, 200 firefighters, 200 teachers, close all four regional community centers, all five regional libraries – and still not come close to making up even half of what the tax rate adjustment will generate,” Dean said.
Dean is proposing to protect Nashville’s most vulnerable residents by extending the Property Tax Relief program. The proposed budget includes increasing Metro’s contribution to the program in order to double the match that the state of Tennessee provides. The proposal also would double the number of tax relief recipients who have their tax bills paid in full based on the appraised value of their home.
“By doing this, the more than 6,400 elderly, disabled and disabled veterans in our community who participate in this program will be greatly protected from the property tax adjustment,” Dean said.
During today’s speech, Dean announced elements of a new capital spending plan, the city’s first since 2010. He will propose approximately $300 million in strategic investments in the city’s infrastructure, including $100 million for schools and $200 million for the general government, in a plan to be submitted to the Metro Council later this month.
The capital spending plan for schools is the largest since the 1990s. It will include more than $20 million for improvements to Stratford High School, funding to build a new gymnasium for Hume-Fogg Academic Magnet High School, expansion and renovations at seven elementary and middle schools and funds to purchase land for a new elementary and middle school in Southeast Davidson County, as well as to purchase land for a future expansion of Julia Green Elementary.
The capital spending plan also will propose additional investments in sidewalks, paving and bikeways; continuing work on riverfront redevelopment; acquiring additional property for the Open Space plan; and continued expansion of greenways and improvements of parks, including Centennial Park and Shelby Park. It will also propose construction of a new Bellevue library and expansion of Bus Rapid Transit services to Murfreesboro Road.
Dean gave his State of Metro address at the new Cumberland Park on the East Bank of the river. Nashville singer-songwriter Chuck Mead was the special musical guest.
Since taking office, Dean managed the city through the Great Recession and historic flooding at a time when city revenues grew by a mere 2 percent, compared to the four years prior when revenues grew by 20 percent. Nevertheless, he fully funded education and maintained funding for public safety. He reduced the government workforce by 668 full-time employees as he decreased department budgets by 10 percent to 15 percent, resulting in some $59.2 million in cuts.
“Today I can confidently say that the State of Metro is strong, and our prospects for the future are even better,” Dean said, “Not by chance, not by luck, but because of the strategic decisions we’ve made to cut where we needed to cut, invest where we needed to invest and not let financial pressures sway our commitment to the things that matter most – the three things I talk about all the time – education, public safety and economic development.”
State of Metro Highlights
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Tennessee Titans starting linebackers Colin McCarthy, Akeem Ayers, Gerald McRath and wide receiver Damian Williams are among those scheduled to attend Mayor’s Field Day at LP Field on Saturday, May 5 starting at 9 a.m. Mayor Karl Dean is hosting the free, citywide event in partnership with the Tennessee Titans as his newest health challenge.
The free event is open to the public and is a way for residents to come together and learn fun ways to be active outdoors. Youth and adults of all ages and fitness levels are invited to come play where the Titans play. Titans cheerleaders and Titans mascot T-Rac also will be there. The event will feature an obstacle course and educational fitness fair, as well as on-field games such as the UnitedHealthcare Team Trolley, Bridgestone Tire Roll, Vanderbilt Water Run, HCA Sack Hop and Kroger Football Toss.
The Metropolitan Transit Authority is offering free transportation from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on all bus routes to individuals participating in Mayor’s Field Day. Passengers must inform the bus driver that they are a Field Day participant to qualify for the free fare. Bus maps and schedules can be viewed online at 
www.nashvillemta.org.
Mayor’s Field Day builds on the momentum of last year’s Walk 100 Miles with the Mayor program, in which more than 4,000 people participated, and the Mayor’s Challenge 5K Walk/Run, which drew more than 5,000 participants last fall.
“Obesity is a major problem in our state and increases the risk of a number of deadly diseases, including heart disease and diabetes,” Dean said. “We have been working aggressively on improving the health of our residents for a while now with fitness challenges, offering healthier food choices in our schools and farmers’ markets and promoting places to exercise, like our parks and greenways. A community Field Day continues that commitment and is a great way to show our citizens, and particularly our young people, that the key to good health is being physically active, and you can do that in a lot of fun ways.”
Healthy snacks and water stations will be provided during the Mayor’s Field Day, and the new Cumberland Park will be open on the East Bank just south of the stadium for attendees interested in packing a picnic lunch. In addition, the LP Field parking lot will be open for tailgating, and food trucks will be on site offering healthy meal options for purchase. Free parking will be available at LP Field in lots A, B, C and D.
Games and activities are intended for teams of 10 participants each. Children 5 years of age or older and adults of all ages are encouraged to participate. Each team must be captained by one adult (18 years of age or older). Team captains do not need to have a completed team when they first register. Additional members may join at a later time. Individuals and smaller teams are welcome to register, but may be partnered with other groups to complete activities.
For more information and to register, visit www.mayorsfieldday.com.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (April 25, 2012) - In advance of the second anniversary of the historic May 2010 flooding, Mayor Karl Dean today unveiled NERVE, a free online tool developed by Metro to provide valuable information to the public during disasters. He was joined by Metro officials and representatives from the nonprofit community, who provided a comprehensive update of Nashville’s ongoing flood recovery effort.
Disaster-recovery accomplishments include $15.04 million received by The Community Foundation in flood relief donations; 179 homes that have been purchased and 99 that have been demolished through Metro’s home buy-out program; and 562 homeowners assisted through the non-profit Housing Fund’s We Are Home gap financing program. A comprehensive canvassing program undertaken by the Flood Recovery Network last fall has helped ensure that assistance was made available to nearly every Davidson County property owner impacted by the flood.
“I am proud of the way our community came together in the days after the flood, and I am proud of how far we have come in the two years since then,” Dean said. “Metro has made a lot of progress in creating innovative tools to keep our residents safe during emergencies, most notably NERVE, which will be a one-stop online site during disasters for the public to find critical information about road closures and emergency shelters. I am grateful to our Metro departments, community groups and, most importantly, our residents for the work that has been done to build back our city stronger than before.”
The Nashville Emergency Response Viewing Engine (NERVE) includes real-time information about road closures, school closings and locations of emergency shelters, food and water distribution centers and Disaster Assistance Centers. It can be found online at http://maps.nashville.gov/NERVE.
The innovative tool can help navigate residents to shelters and other emergency resources by routing them around closed roads and has the ability to show evacuation areas. Information will be posted to NERVE during emergencies.
Additionally, Metro created the Nashville Situational Awareness for Flooding Events (SAFE) program, an internal mapping tool to help Metro better predict where and when flooding will occur. Other cities are in the process of implementing the same program using Nashville SAFE as a model. Metro also has combined its Metro Community Hotline and 311 to more efficiently handle citizen calls during emergencies.
Through Metro’s Hazard Mitigation Home Buyout program, 179 homes have already been purchased and 99 have been demolished. Acquisition is pending on an additional 28 homes.
“Our team at Metro Water Services has executed the home buyout program with record speed, closing and demolishing a large number of homes even prior to the one-year anniversary,” said Scott Potter, Metro Water’s director. “We will continue to work as efficiently as possible with participating homeowners and the Federal Emergency Management Agency so that we can continue to remove properties from the floodway and protect residents from hazardous situations.”
The We Are Home program, which was created by nonprofit The Housing Fund with the support of the Mayor’s Office, has assisted 562 homeowners by providing $9.6 million to help with the cost of flood repairs not covered by insurance, FEMA and the Small Business Administration. Average assistance is just over $17,000 per home.
“With new federal disaster funding, We Are Home is expanding to address work that remains to be done on housing in affected neighborhoods,” said Loretta Owens, Executive Director of The Housing Fund. “Those programs include grant and loan assistance for rental properties, for homes that need to be elevated and for individuals who are relocating as a result of the Metro buyout program.”
The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, which is designated in Metro’s Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan to collect community donations in times of disaster, received $15.04 million in flood relief donations. To date, all of the contributions have been distributed or allocated to organizations addressing flood recovery throughout Tennessee.
Through the work of these organizations, nearly 12,000 damaged home were repaired, 586 home were rebuilt and nearly 800,000 volunteer hours dedicated to flood response were logged. Some 182,000 clients were served through a broad range of nonprofits.
“Though the work continues, our community should be incredibly proud of the unparalleled generosity and the tireless work that has gone into our recovery,” said Ellen Lehman, president of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. “Most disaster response takes many years and sometimes decades, but this community is already far, far along its way to recovery. The Community Foundation is honored to have partnered with Mayor Karl Dean, Metro government and 112 local nonprofits to help Nashville and Middle Tennessee rise above, restore community and rebuild lives through providing the funding necessary to make over 182,000 instances of service accessible to flood survivors.”
Today’s event was held at the Office of Emergency Management’s Emergency Operations Center. Also in attendance were representatives from the United Way of Metropolitan Nashville.
“As we set out to get a handle on the size and scope of recovery after the flood, United Way gathered input from communities that had dealt with disasters of this magnitude and we were told to expect a three to five year process,” said Eric Dewey, president of United Way of Metropolitan Nashville. “Thanks to the hard work of a number of very capable partners and a sound operating model, United Way of Metropolitan Nashville was able to mobilize six Restore The Dream centers that helped 1,200 families — 70% of the known cases processed through long-term case management — reach recovery on their own terms in less than 16 months.”
Over the past 20 months, this four member core group of ministers has responded to a number of incidents in several areas of Nashville to offer counseling and mentorship to parties involved in teenage violence in a proactive effort to prevent disputes from escalating.
“These pastors are true leaders in their individual churches and the Nashville community,” Chief Steve Anderson said. “We in the police department are deeply grateful for their continued strong support and partnership.”
Mayor Karl Dean announced today that Terrence L. Cobb, Director of the Metro Department of Codes and Building Safety, will take on additional duties as the Director of Development Services in the Mayor’s Office of Economic and Community Development. Cobb will start in the Mayor’s Office on Feb. 1.
Dean also appointed Wendy S. Tucker as a Senior Advisor on Education. Tucker, who has been co-director of the Special Education Advocacy Center of Tennessee, starts Jan. 17.
As Director of Development Services, Cobb will assist and serve as an ombudsman to businesses, commercial property owners, developers, contractors and others as they navigate the construction and development processes across several Metro departments. He also will review and improve permitting and other regulatory processes so that they are more streamlined and business friendly.
“Terry has a lot of common sense and knowledge from his 20-plus years as Metro Codes Director and his previous experience as a licensed general contractor,” Dean said. “He knows how to get things done. I am confident in his ability to create an efficient process for our development community to make Nashville an even more business-friendly city.”
Cobb is a Nashville native with a bachelor’s degree in business management from Tennessee Tech University. He is a past president of several organizations, including the Home Builders Association of Middle Tennessee, the Nashville Apartment Association and the Tennessee Building Officials Association. He is a senior life member of the board of directors of the National Association of Home Builders. In 2010, Cobb received the International Code Council’s highest honor, the Bobby J. Fowler Award, for his contributions to the building safety and fire prevention industry.
Tucker will concentrate on school reform and special education, two important issues as Dean continues to focus on improving public education.
“Wendy did great work as a co-chair of the Mayor’s Advisory Council on Special Education and will be a passionate advocate for reforming our schools and the way we educate students with disabilities,” Dean said. “While we have made many improvements in the school district these past four years, there is still much more work to be done. Wendy is the right person to help move public education in Nashville forward.”
Tucker holds a bachelor’s degree from the Newcomb College of Tulane University and a law degree from Tulane Law School. She was an assistant public defender in Davidson County from 1993 to 2000 and was in private practice from 2000 to 2010 in Nashville, focusing in part on education law. She is also an adjunct faculty member at Vanderbilt Law School.
Tucker previously served as co-chair of the Mayor’s Advisory Council on Special Education, which Dean formed in 2008 to assess the programs and policies for students receiving special education services from Metro Nashville Public Schools. Tucker is a former board president of the Arc of Davidson County. Additionally, Tucker conducts parent training sessions on special education law for parents of students with disabilities. She is married to Jonathan Wing, a Senior Assistant Public Defender, and they have two daughters, Langan, 9, and Frannie, 2.
Mayor Karl Dean announced that he has named Nashvillian Saul Solomon as Metro’s new Director of Law. Solomon, who currently serves as president of Bridgestone Americas Latin American Operations, will start as Law Director on Feb. 1.
Solomon assumes the position that was held by Sue Cain since Dean was elected until her retirement in August. Mike Safley, the Deputy Director of Law, has been serving as the Interim Law Director. Solomon’s appointment must be confirmed by the Metro Council and is on the agenda for the Jan. 17 meeting.
“Saul brings unique legal and business experience to this position, and the city is sure to benefit,” Dean said. “I have known Saul since we worked together in the Public Defender’s Office, and I have both personal and professional respect for him. I am confident in his ability to supervise and direct all of the city’s legal work and am honored to have him join Metro government.”
Solomon has been with Bridgestone Americas in Nashville for 18 years, serving as president of the North America Commercial Tire Division, president of Bridgestone Bandag Tire Solutions, vice president and general counsel of Bridgestone Americas and vice president of labor relations. He started at Bridgestone Americas’ Nashville office in 1993 as corporate and international general counsel.
“I am deeply honored to be Nashville's new Director of Law,” Solomon said. “My family has been in Nashville for over 25 years. We love the city, and I look forward to serving the community.”
Solomon previously worked as a senior counsel at Northern Telecom and Equicor in Nashville and served as an assistant public defender for Metro Nashville from 1985 to 1988. He began his law career as an associate at Seward and Kissel in New York City. Solomon received his law degree from the University of North Carolina and holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan.
Lakewood site added to county-wide list of drop-off locations
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Davidson County residents will be able to recycle their live Christmas
trees at several Metro sites again this holiday season, including a new drop-off location in
Lakewood.
Metro Public Works will collect the trees for mulching at the city’s Bordeaux Mulch
Facility. All trees must be free of lights, ornaments, icicles, all tinsel and garland. No flocked
trees will be accepted.
WHO: Metro Public Works and Metro Parks & Recreation
WHAT: Christmas Tree Drop-off Program
WHEN: December 27, 2011 to February 17, 2012
WHERE: Any one of the following Metro Parks:
Cane Ridge, Cedar Hill, Edwin Warner, Elmington, Joelton, Richland,
Sevier, Two Rivers and Whitfield; or
Una Recreation Center, 136 Una Recreation Road;
Former Lakewood City Hall Bldg, 3401 Old Hickory Blvd
Recycling Christmas trees into mulch, rather than dumping them in the trash, in an alley
or along public roadways, keeps them out of landfills and helps save Metro the cost of disposal
fees. Approximately 12,000 Christmas trees are recycled each year through the drop-off
program.
Natural brown mulch, made from Christmas trees and yard brush, is sold at the Bordeaux
facility for eleven dollars a cubic yard. The facility is open Monday-Saturday from 7 a.m. until 4
p.m. For more information, call 862-8640 or visit www.nashville.gov/pw/recycle .
Two (2) Attachments: List of 11 drop-off sites with addresses
Facts and more tips for Christmas tree recycling
Metro’s 2011 Christmas Tree Drop-Off Locations
Metro Park Locations:
Cane Ridge, 419 Battle Road
Cedar Hill, 860 Old Hickory Blvd.
Edwin Warner, 50 Vaughn Road
Elmington, 3531 West End Ave.
Joelton Community Park, 21 Joelton Community Center Road
Richland, 4601 Charlotte Pike
Sevier, corner of Clayton Ave and Granny White Pike, near picnic shelters
Two Rivers, 3150 McGavock Pike
Whitfield, Edmondson Pike @ Brewer Drive
Additional locations:
Una Recreation Center, 136 Una Recreation Road
Former Lakewood City Hall Bldg, 3401 Old Hickory Blvd, Old Hickory (37138)
Lakewood site added to county-wide list of drop-off locations
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Davidson County residents will be able to recycle their live Christmas
trees at several Metro sites again this holiday season, including a new drop-off location in
Lakewood.
Metro Public Works will collect the trees for mulching at the city’s Bordeaux Mulch
Facility. All trees must be free of lights, ornaments, icicles, all tinsel and garland. No flocked
trees will be accepted.
WHO: Metro Public Works and Metro Parks & Recreation
WHAT: Christmas Tree Drop-off Program
WHEN: December 27, 2011 to February 17, 2012
WHERE: Any one of the following Metro Parks:
Cane Ridge, Cedar Hill, Edwin Warner, Elmington, Joelton, Richland,
Sevier, Two Rivers and Whitfield; or
Una Recreation Center, 136 Una Recreation Road;
Former Lakewood City Hall Bldg, 3401 Old Hickory Blvd
Recycling Christmas trees into mulch, rather than dumping them in the trash, in an alley
or along public roadways, keeps them out of landfills and helps save Metro the cost of disposal
fees. Approximately 12,000 Christmas trees are recycled each year through the drop-off
program.
Natural brown mulch, made from Christmas trees and yard brush, is sold at the Bordeaux
facility for eleven dollars a cubic yard. The facility is open Monday-Saturday from 7 a.m. until 4
p.m. For more information, call 862-8640 or visit www.nashville.gov/pw/recycle .
Metro’s 2011 Christmas Tree Drop-Off Locations
Metro Park Locations:
Cane Ridge, 419 Battle Road
Cedar Hill, 860 Old Hickory Blvd.
Edwin Warner, 50 Vaughn Road
Elmington, 3531 West End Ave.
Joelton Community Park, 21 Joelton Community Center Road
Richland, 4601 Charlotte Pike
Sevier, corner of Clayton Ave and Granny White Pike, near picnic shelters
Two Rivers, 3150 McGavock Pike
Whitfield, Edmondson Pike @ Brewer Drive
Additional locations:
Una Recreation Center, 136 Una Recreation Road
Former Lakewood City Hall Bldg, 3401 Old Hickory Blvd, Old Hickory (37138)
More than 62,503 pounds of food – enough for 48,800 meals for Davidson County families – was raised for Second Harvest Food Bank by the Metro Government-wide food drive led by Mayor Karl Dean. For the second year, Dean challenged the Governor’s Office to a friendly “food fight,” and this year the office of Gov. Bill Haslam prevailed.
During a news conference at Second Harvest today, Dean announced the amount of food raised and also recognized three Metro Government departments for winning the “Mayor’s Cup.” The winner in the general competition among Metro departments was the Planning Commission, which raised 4,892 pounds of food and was last year’s winner.
In the contest between the Fire Department and Police Department, the Police won with 6,072 pounds of food. In the public participation contest between Parks and Recreation and the Metro Transit Authority, MTA won after raising 3,666 pounds of food. MTA waged a “Stuff the Bus” campaign to get public bus riders to donate canned goods in exchange for free bus tickets.
“The need for food assistance is great, and I am thankful for the generosity of Metro employees and all Nashvillians who got involved,” Dean said. “I am also grateful to Gov. Haslam and his staff for their generous donations, and I congratulate them for winning the ‘food fight.’ The Metro food drive is a chance for us to not only help Second Harvest meet its growing demand for food donations here in Nashville but also to bring city-wide attention to the issue of hunger. Together, we can help a lot of families this holiday season.”
The donated food items will be sorted by Second Harvest this week before going out to a variety of food pantries and community centers providing emergency food assistance throughout Nashville.
“As we take time this holiday season to give thanks for our blessings, many Tennesseans are hungry,” said Haslam, who also attended the news conference. “Organizations such as Second Harvest Food Bank play an important role in assisting families across the state, and we're proud to join Mayor Dean's office to support their hard work and commitment. I encourage citizens across the Volunteer State to do what you can to help those in need.”
This is the third year Metro offices have collected food to help stock the shelves at Second Harvest in advance of the upcoming holiday season. Cans and monetary donations were collected from Nov. 30 to Dec. 16.
Collections this year were up 11 percent over last year’s 52,725 pounds of food raised, meeting the goal of raising 10 percent more than last year. In last year’s “food fight” with the Governor’s Office, the Mayor’s Office won.
“We all know and are in contact with people affected by hunger,” said Jaynee Day, President and CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. “Hunger often affects hard-working adults, children and seniors who simply cannot make ends meet and are forced to go without food for several meals, or even days. The continued support from our local and state government will help restock pantries across our city this holiday season – and for that we are eternally grateful."
The food drive donations will be used to support Second Harvest’s Feeding Hope Challenge to provide 9 million meals for hungry men, women and children this holiday season. Demand for services at Second Harvest has increased by 25 percent over the past year, while charitable contributions have decreased 26 percent. In Tennessee, one in six adults and one in four children are at risk of hunger. For more information about Second Harvest Food Bank, visit www.secondharvestmidtn.org or call 615-329-3491.
The Metro Food Fight is supported by Impact Nashville, a Mayor’s Office initiative to increase volunteerism to address the city’s most pressing needs.
Mayor Karl Dean and Metro Councilman Ronnie Steine have been appointed co-chairs of the National League of Cities’ (NLC) 2012 Council on Youth, Education, and Families. The one-year appointments were made by NLC President Ted Ellis, Mayor of Bluffton, Ind.
The appointments reflect the national recognition of the leadership they have shown on issues facing children and families. Dean’s innovative initiatives in support of youth and education include the SCHoLAR’s Academy to prepare Metro Nashville students for college; Limitless Libraries; the Music Makes Us music education curriculum; the Metro Student Attendance Center; the Nashville Afterschool Zone Alliance and the Tennessee Charter School Incubator.
“I am grateful for this opportunity to lead the Council on Youth, Education, and Families and to share our experiences in helping to improve education and youths’ lives here in Nashville. Nothing we do as a city is more important, and we have a great story to tell,” Dean said. “I look forward to working with Councilman Steine and others to help foster even more innovative ideas to strengthen families and improve the wellbeing of our children and youth here in Nashville and in cities across the country.”
NLC’s Council on Youth, Education, and Families was established in 1999 to promote and support municipal leadership on behalf of the nation’s children, youth and families.
“The YEF Council does such important work for young people nationwide,” Steine said. “I look forward to partnering with the Mayor in this leadership role. It will certainly give us an opportunity to share all we are doing here in Nashville and possibly pick up a good idea or two from other cities.”
While the Council has been led by many prominent mayors and city councilmembers, the partnership between Dean and Steine represents the first time in recent memory that a mayor and city councilmember from the same city have shared a leadership role on an NLC council or committee.
“Both Mayor Dean and Councilmember Steine have established themselves as national leaders in the effort to improve outcomes for children and families in our nation’s cities and towns,” said NLC President Ellis. “Their willingness to work together in bringing Nashville’s many innovations and accomplishments to NLC’s leadership group on these issues speaks volumes about their commitment to our next generation, and NLC will be stronger and more effective as a result of their ground-breaking collaboration.”
Mayor Johnny DuPree of Hattiesburg, Miss., and Karl Nurse, Council Member in St. Petersburg, Fla., will serve as Council vice chairs. The Council also oversees the work of NLC’s Institute for Youth, Education, and Families.
“We look forward to learning how this innovative leadership approach can add a new dimension to the Council’s work,” said Clifford Johnson, the Institute’s executive director. “If successful, we hope it will serve as a model for other NLC leadership groups in the years ahead.”
The Institute for Youth, Education, and Families helps municipal leaders take action on behalf of the children, youth and families in their communities. NLC launched the YEF Institute in January 2000 in recognition of the unique and influential roles that mayors, city council members and other local leaders can play in strengthening families and improving outcomes for children and youth.
The National League of Cities is the nation’s oldest and largest organization devoted to strengthening and promoting cities as centers of opportunity, leadership and governance. NLC is a resource and advocate for 19,000 cities, towns and villages, representing more than 218 million Americans.
