Agenda
REGISTER FOR CONFERENCE
Monday April 27th
8:30 AM |
REGISTRATION |
9:00 AM |
WELCOME AND OPENING REMARKS
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9:30 AM |
THE FISCAL HEALTH OF THE AMERICAN CITY Leading researchers will present what is known about the financial threats and the opportunities confronting America’s cities. Moderator: Graham Wilson – Director, Initiative on Cities and Professor of Political Science, Boston University
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10:30 AM |
BREAK |
10:45 AM |
WHAT’S NEXT FOR PENSION REFORM? From recent efforts at privatization in Phoenix to municipal bankruptcies in Detroit and Stockton and ground-breaking reform in Providence, efforts at pension reform are taking hold. This panel will examine the advancements made toward sustainable pension reform. Moderator: Con Hurley – Director, The Center for Finance, Law & Policy and Senior Provost Fellow, Boston University
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12:00 PM |
LUNCH |
12:45 PM |
KEYNOTE
MAYOR PAUL R. SOGLIN, MADISON, WI Mayor Soglin has been elected eight times as Mayor of Madison, serving as the city’s 51st, 54th, and 57th mayor. After more than a decade out of office, he ran for reelection in 2011 to restore order and balance to the city’s finances. Moderator: Katherine Levine Einstein – Assistant Professor of Political Science, Boston University |
1:15 PM |
MANAGING HEALTH CARE COSTS FOR PAST AND PRESENT PUBLIC SERVANTS
Healthcare costs for current civil servants continue to soar. Meanwhile, unsustainable “pay as you go” funding models and limited transparency into the true scale of the liabilities have created a looming crisis in retiree health care plans. How can cities sustainably support the healthcare needs of their past and present workforce? Moderator: Randall Ellis – Professor, Boston University Department of Economics
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2:30 PM |
BREAK |
2:45 PM |
KEYNOTE
CONGRESSMAN MICHAEL E. CAPUANO Congressman Capuano is serving his ninth term as a Member of Congress, where he is the senior Massachusetts member on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Financial Services Committee. Before running for Congress, he was Mayor of Somerville, MA from 1990 to 1999. Moderator: Graham Wilson – Director, Initiative on Cities and Professor of Political Science, Boston University |
3:15 PM |
REVITALIZING AMERICA’S AGING URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE In the face of severe underfunding from state and federal governments, many cities are confronted with critical threats to urban infrastructure which, in some cases, have reached the crisis stage. What innovative methods – from public/private partnerships to tax increment financing districts – are cities deploying to fund infrastructure transformation? Moderator: Anthony Flint – Fellow and Director of Public Affairs, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy
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4:30 PM |
COCKTAIL RECEPTION |
Tuesday April 28th
8:30 AM |
OPENING REMARKS |
8:45 AM |
KEYNOTE
STACY FOX – FORMER DEPUTY EMERGENCY MANAGER, DETROIT, MI From the headline-making “grand bargain” to the comprehensive restructuring of the city’s balance sheet, Detroit offers important lessons for America’s cities. |
9:15 AM |
CAN CITIES RAISE TAXES? Faced with diminishing federal and state support, many cities must rely on local sources of revenue. In spite of the rhetoric, are urban residents willing to pay for what their cities need? Moderator: Alan Feld – Professor, Boston University School of Law
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10:30 AM |
BREAK |
10:45 AM |
THE SEARCH FOR NEW MONEY
Many cities have experimented with creative recurring revenue innovations, from payments in lieu of taxes to taxes on jet fuel. This discussion will examine the political viability and longevity of these new means of revenue generation. Moderator: Sam Tyler – President, Boston Municipal Research Bureau
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12:00 PM |
LUNCH |
12:30 PM |
KEYNOTE
SHELLEY METZENBAUM – PRESIDENT, THE VOLCKER ALLIANCE The Former Director of Performance and Personnel Management of the White House Office of Management and Budget, Metzenbaum brings her performance measurement expertise to the Volcker Alliance, where she is dedicated to improving government and policy. |
12:50 PM |
THE EFFICIENT CITY
How can cities optimize the resources they have through advancements in budget formats, performance measures, and the creative deployment of new technologies? Moderator: Kristen McCormack – Assistant Dean, Sector Initiatives and Faculty Director of the Institute for Nonprofit Management and Leadership, Boston University, Questrom School of Business
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1:50 PM |
FINANCING THE MODERN CITY This discussion will examine the role of the municipal bond rating and tax exempt bonds more generally in funding America’s cities. Leading cities and municipal advisers will share lessons on achieving and maintaining top bond ratings and structuring sustainable financing. Moderator: Mark Funkhouser – Publisher, Governing Magazine
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3:00 PM |
BREAK |
3:15 PM |
MAYORS ROUNDTABLE – ENVISIONING THE 21ST CENTURY MUNICIPAL BUSINESS MODEL Leading mayors come together to discuss their challenges as chief financial stewards and their advice for the next generation of urban leaders. Moderator: Christiana McFarland – Research Director, Center for City Solutions and Applied Research, National League of Cities
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4:30 PM |
PROGRAM CONCLUDES |
This event is being co-sponsored by the Initiative on Cities at Boston University with the support of GOVERNING.