Florida League of Cities President Joy Cooper: Florida cities develop plan for economic recovery, jobs creation
Feb 11, 2011
Above: Hallandale Beach Mayor and Florida League of Cities President Joy Cooper
The following featured opinion by Hallandale Beach Mayor and Florida League of Cities President Joy Cooper was published by the Fort Myers News-Press on January 26, 2011:
Joy Cooper: Florida cities develop plan for economic recovery, jobs creation
Florida’s cities wholeheartedly share Gov. Rick Scott’s objective of creating jobs and fostering an economic climate in which Florida’s employers and families can thrive.
Florida’s cities can play a key role in this important mission and cities stand ready to work shoulder to shoulder with the governor over the next four years.
As Scott and the new Administration begins its work, city officials want to create a new partnership with state leaders.
This is why, as president of the Florida League of Cities, I created the Keys to the Cities Task Force.
In support of Scott’s leadership, the Task Force created Keys to the Cities – a resource to provide additional insight on issues important to Florida’s cities, coming from the perspective of more than 400 communities in which the vast majority of Floridians live, work, learn, worship and play.
The Keys to the Cities document we presented to Scott also includes areas where we believe cities can work with the governor in a landmark partnership to enhance the high quality of life that the people of our state expect and deserve.
With that in mind, the task force focused on the following areas in the Keys to the Cities document:
- Improving fiscal accountability and responsibility
- Making government smarter
- Investing in opportunity
- Fiscal responsibility for the future
- Managing and sustaining recovery
As detailed in Keys to the Cities, we believe working with Scott can take our state to even higher levels of excellence by promoting smart policies that couple spurring growth with respecting the long-term principle of home rule.
Florida’s cities want to partner with Scott and the Legislature.
Keys to the Cities reaches a hand of friendship and cooperation across the levels of government to provide the new Administration with a valuable blueprint for building this important relationship to benefit our shared constituency – the people of Florida.
As the government closest to the people, a city has a unique bond with its citizens.
Each one of Florida’s 410 cities is unique. But no matter their size or scope, all cities have the same goal: to deliver varied, high-quality services in an efficient and responsive manner; enhance the quality of life of their citizens; and promote education, employment and economic development.
As leaders in Florida, city officials understand the challenges and opportunities Scott will face during these next four years.
With an eye on building a better and more prosperous future for our state and its citizens we together serve, Florida’s cities look forward to opening a proactive and productive dialogue with state leaders and the new Administration.
We stand ready to provide whatever assistance is necessary to achieve the overarching goals we share.
To read Keys to the Cities, visit floridaleagueofcities.com.
Joy Cooper is the mayor of Hallandale Beach and president of the Florida League of Cities