May 5 - About The Mayor

News About Mayors From Around The Nation

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Chicago's North Shore magazine, April edition, zeroed in on Palatine, providing a portrait of rapid suburban growth, and favorable comments on Mayor Rita Mullins who has guided the community's destiny for the past eight years. Mayor Mullins, city clerk for eight years before becoming mayor and a Palatine resident since 1958, is pictured as a "tireless ambassador for her community." It details Palatine local amenities, and rapid growth by annexation, pointing out that the addition of 15,000 residents in the past few years has bought in additional federal resources to the core city.

Dayton Mayor Michael Turner believes turnabout is fair play. He visited Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina in December with a host of local officials, building on Dayton Peace Accords. On April 23, a visiting delegation of government and business leaders from Croatia arrived in Dayton to continue efforts toward stimulating joint economic development efforts. Goal of the visit: share information about varying needs for products and services, and continue an exchange begun last year.

The Chicago Tribune of April 13 reported that Mayor Richard M. Daley, then just returned from a two-week part-leisure, part-business trip to Europe, brought back a "suitcase full of ideas" to help his city. With a Chicago delegation, the mayor met with their London business, private sector and civic leader counterparts. Noted the paper: Mayor Daley and his entourage sought and received tips on how to better operate city services, namely parks and public transportation. Londoners, the report continued, gleaned ideas on how to maintain infrastructure, business and housing in fringe communities while keeping the central business district humming.

Cleveland Mayor Michael R. White on April 15 went out front in praising public-private partnerships in his Ohio city which supported storefront renovation projects in 1996. At an awards ceremony, Mayor White praised the completion of 57 projects in 1996, comprising 106 storefronts, noting that having convenient and enticing retail outlets improves the appearance and strengthens the economy of Cleveland's neighborhoods. A city hall press release notes that, since 1990, 395 projects have been completed with a total of $4.8 million in city assistance leveraging an additional $13.8 million in private investment.

Lynn (MA) Mayor Patrick McManus has taken some steps to lower eligibility criteria for his city's businesses in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Economic Development Incentive Program (EDIP). Current standards, according to a city hall news release, state that a new project must create 25 or more jobs, and have investments exceeding $750,000. Or, the project can involve the rehab of a vacant commercial building. Changes to thresholds stemmed from meetings between the mayor and the Lynn Area Chamber of Commerce.

On another Massachusetts note, the April 20th Boston Globe reports that Vatican Ambassador and former Boston Mayor Raymond L. Flynn's diplomatic tour in Rome may be coming to a close. The story reports that former U.S. Rep. Lindy Boggs (LA) may become the first female Ambassador to the Vatican. Flynn, said Senior Clinton aides, is under active consideration for a variety of positions within the Administration.

Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino left last week to London for a series of meetings with political and community leaders. Departing his city April 14th, the mayor 's schedule included meetings with the Lord Mayor, U.S. Ambassador Crowe, and business representatives from Lloyds of London. His visit included a tour of the Sir John Cass Primary School and speaking engagements.

Tucson Mayor George Miller presided April 30th over a special "Affordable Housing: Building Capacity" Conference. Targets were for-profit and non-profit housing developers, builders and contractors, realtors, bankers and others interested in the field of affordable housing. Mayor Miller has been in office since 1991, after serving as a Council Member since 1977. One of the Conference's guest speakers was former Phoenix Mayor Terry Goddard, four-time Mayor from 1984 to 1990 and, in 1988, President of the National League of Cities. Goddard is presently the State Coordinator in the Arizona Office of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The San Francisco Examiner of April 15 said that Mayor Willie Brown has selected Mark Dunlop, a prominent gay activist who has AIDS, to assume a Redevelopment Agency Commission seat which was vacant. Dunlop, whose selection faces a ratification by the Board of Supervisors, chairs the Citizens Committee on Community Development, which advises the mayor on funding for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) programs.

Fort Wayne Mayor Paul Helmke proclaimed the week of April 13 as "Crime Victims' Rights Week" as the Indiana community emphasized the importance of supporting victim rights program. Events scheduled for the week included displays, a Candlelight Vigil and Memorial Service, and the 10th Annual Run/Walk/Roll, with proceeds going to the Victim Assistance Office. The mayor also unveiled a community video promoting awareness about domestic violence, one of a number of new initiatives funded through a Federal COPS (Community Oriented Policing) grant.