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Mcpherson To Attend Mayors' Conference In Washington

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By KLINT LOWRY | The Suncoast News

Published: January 13, 2009

Updated:

NEW PORT RICHEY - With the Jan. 20 inauguration of President-elect Barrack Obama and the enormous national economic stimulus package that has been promised to come immediately after, Mayor Scott McPherson thinks the time is right to work on some national name recognition for the city.

McPherson announced at the Jan. 6 City Council meeting he has decided to attend the 77th winter meeting of the United States Conference of Mayors, to be held Jan. 17 - 19 in Washington, D.C.

The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more, although cities of less than 30,000 can join as affiliate members. Founded in 1933, its purpose is to promote the development of effective national urban policy and strengthen the relationship between federal and local government. It also provides mayors with a forum to share ideas and information.

In announcing his decision, McPherson explained why he wants to attend the conference.

"The reason I think it's important is New Port Richey has not been aggressive in the federal arena," McPherson said.

"When you have an entity - I don't care whether you're talking about a government or a company - that has an annual budget of $50 million, you need to do as much PR work as possible."

Sure, he added, New Port Richey, population 18,000, isn't going to be able to compete with the major metropolises of this country. Only good, however, can come from trying to make the name "New Port Richey" better known across the country and establish as many relationships with other municipalities as possible.

And there may be no better time to do it.

Running parallel to - and in some circles ahead of - the anticipation of Obama's inauguration is the anticipation of his proposed $750 billion stimulus package. While countless news stories have stressed that Obama "wants the package on his desk on Day One," it really isn't entirely clear what the package will entail, McPherson said. The New York Times and others have noted, however, it looks like part of that package will be aimed at infrastructure projects, the mayor said.

How that infrastructure money is going to be allotted is another mystery, McPherson said. So it makes sense for a city to make clear it wants some of those dollars.

In anticipation of his trip to Washington, McPherson has contacted U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Palm Harbor, and U.S. senators Mel Martinez and Bill Nelson to solicit their support in passing the package.

In a letter to Bilirakis, McPherson requested a time while he's in Washington when he could stop by the lawmaker's Capitol Hill office to personally deliver a copy of the city's five-year infrastructure plan.

"If we're going to accomplish it, it will be with his help," McPherson said.

Along with working on the city's national identity and finding out what he can about possible stimulus package benefits, McPherson said, he is looking forward to meeting municipal leaders from around the country as a personal learning experience.

"This is a real, working seminar," he said. There won't be any sightseeing or other diversions on his itinerary and he won't bring his family, the mayor stressed during the meeting.

With the conference starting three days before an inauguration that is expected to break all attendance records, McPherson said, he was concerned about the cost of the trip. When, however, he found a plane ticket for $180 and a vacancy at a Red Roof Inn, he and City Manager Tom O'Neill agreed it was worth doing, the mayor said.

The cost of the trip will come from a $5,000 fund in the city budget designated for expenses incurred by the mayor and council members when they attend conferences, seminars or other events on city business. On Thursday, McPherson, an attorney, said if the trip drains too much from that fund, he will replace the money from his own pocket.

On Wednesday, McPherson said he understood some might suspect this to be an excuse for a junket to Washington for the inauguration. For the record, he said, he'll be back in New Port Richey on inauguration day, Jan. 20. The conference closes at noon Jan. 19, and he'll be on a plane for home about four hours later.

Klint Lowry can be reached at 727-815-1067 or klowry@suncoastnews.com.

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