A Message From the Chair
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Since taking on the role as Co-Chair of the Mayors Water Council, along with Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, we have, with encouragement and help from many of you, and support of our more than able staff, addressed the serious issue of combined sewer overflows with the EPA and the DOJ. At first, our audacity was met with some suspicion that soon turned to interest as our arguments were seen as knowledgeable and articulate. We now have established what appears to be a real working relationship toward reform. We hope to achieve a greater understanding of our collective needs, environmentally; and our challenges, fiscally. And we hope to arrive at a fair meeting of the minds which will allow cities to grow and prosper while updating needed infrastructure to meet the needs of present and future health and safety of our citizens. Of course we need the federal government to be a willing and eager partner to achieve this goal. We cannot meet our desired outcomes for our citizens without the financial support of our federal government, or without their cooperation as a partner. Mayors are tired of being called polluters when the reality is we came into this role of service because of our environmentalism. We get it. The linkage between goals, investment and compliance cannot be completed unilaterally: it takes a federal-state-local partnership. We hope the federal government is not only listening, but also understanding our limitations if we are required to act alone.
I want to take this opportunity to say congratulations to my Co-Chair, Mayor Brian U. Stratton, who is leaving office in March to help New York Governor Andrew Cuomo by accepting the post of Director of the New York State Canal Corporation. Stratton will be extending his work on water and development issues in this new post. I want to thank him for his work with me in effectuating these goals on behalf of all mayors. I look forward to working with my new Co-Chair, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, on behalf of mayors across America.
- Jennifer Hosterman
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