Fiscal Leadership
Monday April 27th and Tuesday April 28th
One of the greatest modern threats facing cities lies on the balance sheet, leaving many wondering: how will we pay for cities in the future?
Click here to access the comprehensive Fiscal Leadership Summit Report.
Fiscal Leadership and the Modern City, the third city leadership summit hosted by the Initiative on Cities at Boston University, examined the ways in which communities are tackling contemporary financial constraints with 21st century financial tools.
Cities are centers of growth and dynamism for regions and nations. To thrive, they must invest, while carefully balancing today’s needs with tomorrow’s obligations. But in an era of diminished federal and state resources, pitched battles over regional funding, rising labor costs, and aversion to tax increases, municipal budgets are being stretched to the breaking point. In spite of the hurdles, cities and towns must balance their budgets while keeping the streets clean and safe, investing in roads, bridges and buildings, and supporting critical social services.
What are the greatest fiscal threats facing cities, and where are the opportunities? How can they use resources more efficiently? And what methods are they using to identify new revenue streams, balance budgets and finance growth? Can cities be expected to finance themselves?
Day 1: Monday April 27, 2015
Welcoming Remarks
· Graham Wilson – Director, Initiative on Cities and Professor of Political Science, Boston University
· Dr. Robert Brown – President, Boston University
· David Sweeney – Chief Financial Officer, City of Boston, MA
Panel 1: The Fiscal Health of the American City
Moderator:
· Graham Wilson – Director, Initiative on Cities and Professor of Political Science, Boston University
Panelists:
· Christiana McFarland – Research Director, Center for City Solutions and Applied Research, National League of Cities
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· Andrew Reschovsky – Fellow, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and Professor Emeritus, University of Wisconsin-Madison
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Panel 2: What’s Next For Pension Reform?
Moderator:
· Con Hurley – Director, The Center for Finance, Law and Policy, and Senior Provost Fellow, Boston University
Panelists:
· Mayor Angel Taveras – Former Mayor of Providence, RI, and Litigation Shareholder, Greenberg Traurig
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· Greg Mennis – Director, Public Sector Retirement Systems, Pew Charitable Trusts
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· Jack Beermann – Professor, Boston University School of Law
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· Patrick Brett – Managing Director, US Municipal Securities Division, Citi
Lunchtime Keynote: Mayor Paul Soglin
Moderator:
· Katherine Levine Einstein Assistant Professor of Political Science, Boston University
Panelists:
· Mayor Paul Soglin Mayor of Madison, WI
Panel 3: Managing Health Care Costs For Past And Present Public Servants
Moderator:
· Randall Ellis Professor of Economics, Boston University
Panelists:
· Robert Pozen Senior Lecturer, Harvard Business School and Senior Fellow, Brookings Institute
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· David Sweeney Chief Financial Officer, City of Boston, MA
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· David Rosenbloom Chair and Professor of Health Policy and Management, Boston University School of Public Health
· Carolyn Ryan Assistant Director of Policy and Research, Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation
Afternoon Keynote: Congressman Michael Capuano
Moderator:
· Graham Wilson Director, Initiative on Cities and Professor of Political Science, Boston University
Keynote Speaker:
· Congressman Michael Capuano US House of Representatives, D-MA and Former Mayor of Somerville, MA
Panel 4: Revitalizing America’s Aging Urban Infrastructure
Moderator:
· Anthony Flint Fellow and Director of Public Affairs, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy
Panelists:
· Mayor Anthony Williams Former Mayor of Washington, DC, and CEO and Executive Director of the Federal City Council
· Patrick Sabol Senior Policy and Research Assistant, Metropolitan Policy Program, Brookings Institute
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· Brian Pallasch Managing Director for Government Relations and Infrastructure Initiatives, American Society of Civil Engineers
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· Justin Backal Balik Manager of Public Policy and Government Affairs, A Better City
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Day 2: Tuesday April 28th, 2015
Welcoming Remarks
· Graham Wilson Director, Initiative on Cities and Professor of Political Science, Boston University
· Katharine Lusk Executive Director, Initiative on Cities
Morning Keynote: Stacy Fox
Moderator:
· Katharine Lusk Executive Director, Initiative on Cities
Panelists:
· Stacy Fox Former Deputy Emergency Manager, City of Detroit, MI, and Senior VP and General Counsel, DuPont
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Panel 1: Can Cities Raise Taxes?
Moderator:
· Alan Feld Professor, Boston University School of Law
Panelists:
· Mayor Kimberley Driscoll Mayor of Salem, MA
· Vladimir Kogan Assistant Professor of Political Science, Ohio State University
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· Enid Slack Director, Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance, Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto
Panel 2: The Search For New Money
Moderator:
· Sam Tyler President, Boston Municipal Research Bureau
Panelists:
· Daphne Kenyon Fellow, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy
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· Ron Rakow Commissioner, Department of Assessing, City of Boston, MA
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· Katherine Levine Einstein Assistant Professor of Political Science, Boston University
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· Andrew Kleine Budget Director, City of Baltimore, MD
Lunchtime Keynote: Shelley Metzenbaum
Keynote Speaker:
· Shelley Metzenbaum President, The Volcker Alliance
Panel 3: The Efficient City
Moderator:
· Kristen McCormack Assistant Dean, Sector Initiatives and Faculty Director of the Institute for Nonprofit Management and Leadership, Boston University Questrom School of Business
Panelists:
· Michael Ward Director of Municipal Services, Edward J. Collins Jr. Center for Public Management, University of Massachusetts-Boston
· Dean Kaplan Managing Director, Public Financial Management
· Yolanda Kodrzycki Vice President and Director, New England Public Policy Center, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston
· Shelley Metzenbaum President, The Volcker Alliance
Panel 4: Financing the Modern City
Moderator:
· Mark Funkhouser Publisher, GOVERNING Magazine and Former Mayor of Kansas City, MO
Panelists:
· Mayor Stephen Benjamin Mayor of Columbia, SC and Chair, Municipal Bonds for America
· Meredith Weenick Former Chief Financial Officer, City of Boston, MA and Vice President for Campus Services, Harvard University
· June Matte Managing Director, Public Financial Management
· Thomas Green Managing Director and Head, Infrastructure Group, Citi US Public Finance
Mayors Roundtable
Moderator:
· Christiana McFarland Research Director, Center for City Solutions and Applied Research, National League of Cities
Panelists:
· Mayor Dan Rivera Mayor of Lawrence, MA
· Mayor Lisa Wong Mayor of Fitchburg, MA