Hazelwood Mayor Joins Others Declaring
2011 as 'The Year of the Cities'

Mayor Matthew Robinson of Hazelwood joined a large group of municipal officials from diverse communities throughout St. Louis County on Feb. 10 to declare 2011 as "The Year of the Cities."

They plan to focus public attention on important leadership initiatives and cooperative efforts that have their roots in local government.

"We are 91 voices strong," said Rich Magee, president of the St. Louis County Municipal League and Mayor of Glendale, referring to the collective strength of municipalities in the County. "Our diversity is our asset, and our connection to residents and businesses is the bedrock of sound policy making."

Magee emphasized how communities in St. Louis County are working together to lead the way on recent significant issues and projects that are important to our citizens.  These range from smoking bans, support of Metro, cooperation during the I-64 renovation, "green" initiatives, and mutual aid for public safety and emergency response teams to joining insurance pools, and sharing parks and recreation facilities and programs.

Members of the St. Louis County Municipal League said 2011 will mark a significant commitment among all its members to insure cities have a greater voice in regional and statewide affairs and to create a platform for positive initiatives that benefit all citizens in the metropolitan area, such as the new E911 communication system.

Among key issues in 2011, the League will focus on promoting best practices for municipal governments and performance measurements to increase efficiency and cost savings. Since the founding of the St. Louis County Municipal League in 1918, the mission of this group has been to endorse the value of collaboration and partnership.

"St. Louis County is diverse and municipalities range in size," said Magee. "By developing and implementing best practices for all city governments to use, we will create benchmark standards for municipal officials to strive to uphold and enhance transparency and responsiveness."

The Municipal League has reached out to Civic Progress to form a public-private partnership to enhance the value of its efforts in 2011 and beyond. The goal, according to the League, is to utilize their combined skills and experience to help foster professionalism and performance among all suburban cities.

Additionally, local communities provide grassroots opportunities for hundreds of citizens to serve on boards and commissions, helping to shape the quality of daily life. All of these diverse communities add to the vibrancy of our regional fabric while actively supporting "big city" amenities and priorities, according to recent studies.