CityVision 2023 a Success in Concord NETWORKING, EDUCATION, AND A VISIT FROM GOVERNOR ROY COOPER IT WAS THE BIGGEST WEEK OF THE YEAR FOR THE NORTH CAROLINA LEAGUE OF MUNICIPALITIES. As our government affairs staffers were hard at work at the Legislative Building in Raleigh for the lawmaking scramble known as “crossover” (a live-or-die point for most bills), hundreds of municipal leaders were in Concord for the largest gathering of its kind— CityVision 2023, the League’s three-day annual conference that featured more than 20 engaging speakers and multiple tracks of focus on timely local government issues. CityVision 2023 brought out attendees from cities and towns of all sizes. The conference, which also featured tours of Concord’s operations and attractions, was, as always, geared to empower officials in attendance to bring fresh ideas, knowledge, and perspective back to their own municipalities for the betterment of the state as a whole. Special guest Gov. Roy Cooper in remarks to CityVision-goers noted that those in attendance were most likely to hear concerns directly from the people they represent and were as such best suited to make a difference. “It makes you really and truly the most qualified leaders in our entire government system to make decisions,” Governor Cooper told attendees, adding he’d like to see cities and towns have more autonomy in charting their futures. The governor further noted the great communication his team has with the League and its members on goals and other matters of interest to cities and towns. ”I am deeply grateful for your work,” he said. Governor Cooper also provided updates and perspective on overarching issues, like the pandemic and public health, the economy, education, and funding streams that have helped communities succeed in such hard or demanding times. He spoke specifically on the federal relief funds that have come down since the pandemic and legislation to build for better infrastructure. “I talked to President Biden just yesterday and he wants to work with us to make sure that we can implement these significant funds that we have in place,” the governor said. “And that’s a challenge for us. But we’ve got to keep these same relationships and the same cooperation in order to make sure that we do the implementation that we know needs to happen.” Governor Cooper also encouraged attention toward community resilience and funds supporting it. “Storms are getting more severe,” he said, but he noted the presence of resources to help communities fare better. It’s a rewarding challenge to serve in public office and see goals through, the governor emphasized. ”I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for being willing to step up and run for office,” he told the audience of mayors, council members, managers, BEN BROWN NCLM Communications and Multimedia Strategist continues on page 35 NCLM.ORG 33
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