John Akouri Attends National League of Cities Annual Winter Meeting

-Participates in Developing Strategies for Successful Hometown Programs-

(INDIANAPOLIS, IN)…Farmington Hills City Councilman John Akouri attended the National League of Cities (NLC) 81st Annual Congress of Cities and Exposition in Indianapolis, Indiana last week to discuss issues vital to the growth and maintenance of cities, towns and villages, and ways to partner with the new Bush administration and the US Congress. The meeting was held from December 2-4, 2004 and was the first meeting of local elected officials since the US Presidential election.

Akouri joined more than 3,000 other elected officials who heard national experts discuss the 2nd Bush Administration and its relationship with cities and towns. Among the speakers were noted presidential historian and author Michael Beschloss, former US Senators Alan Simpson and Bill Bradley, and Dr. Ben Carson, pediatric neurosurgeon and author.

“Participating at the NLC Congress of Cities EXPO provides an opportunity for us as a city not only to discover new and innovative trends throughout the country, but to also share our successes here in Farmington Hills with the nation,” said Akouri.

This year’s National League of Cities’ meeting provided an opportunity for local elected officials from across the country to network, learn from their peers, and shape the NLC policy agenda in Washington for the coming year. Delegates participated in a wide variety of workshops to enhance their knowledge as elected officials while offering successful and innovative ideas to take back to their own communities. Some of the workshop titles included:

Community Policing: What Works and What Doesn’t
Investing in Youth: Reducing Juvenile Crime
Avoid Baby Boom Doom: How to Support Your Town's Aging Population
The American Job Crisis: Outsourcing America’s Workforce
Preparing for Your City’s Future: Trends Affecting America’s Cities
Taxing Choices: Spending and Revenue Options in Times of Fiscal Stress

The National League of Cities is the oldest and largest national organization representing municipal governments throughout the United States. With a membership of nearly 1,800 cities and towns, as well as 49 state associations, NLC serves as a resource and advocate for 18,000 cities that serve 225 million people across the US.