Local Governments Deliver Hope

At Congressional City Conference 2026 in Washington, D.C., Clarence Anthony, CEO and Executive Director of the National League of Cities, made the case for all the ways local governments deliver every day. During his address to conference attendees, he shared the essential work of local leaders bringing their communities together to transform residents' hopes and dreams into action.

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Transcript

NLC 0:07

Welcome back to Cityspeak, where we give listeners an insider's view of what local leadership in America means today and features conversations with government leaders and policy experts regarding the biggest issues and challenges facing America's cities, towns, and villages. At Congressional City Conference 2026 in Washington, D.C., Clarence Anthony, CEO and Executive Director of the National League of Cities, made the case for all the ways local governments deliver every day. During his address to conference attendees, he shared the essential work of local leaders bringing their communities together to transform residents' hopes and dreams into action. Enjoy Clarence Anthony's CEO message to local leaders, and we'll see you again next week on CitySpeak.

Clarence Anthony, CEO & Executive Director, National League of Cities 1:02

Wow, you guys look great this morning. Good morning. Man, it's such an honor to be here today, to be a part of this conference. Looking at America's leaders from all over the country. And you're here in our nation's capital. And I want to say thank you for that. You're the people who have chosen the hardest, most personal, most meaningful level of government, of public service. Because local government is where leadership is not theoretical. Actually, it's really personal. It's personal. It's personal because you are part of the neighborhoods. You're part of the community. You're working neighborhood by neighborhood to make sure your city, town, or village is working effectively. And that's where our capacity in America and strength lies. That's how we made America. And we are the future of America. And while you're here in our nation's capital, we're going to make sure that everybody knows that you're here. And I need you to know that you helped build America. And when we look at where we are in our country, it was because of so many us in this room. It was local leadership, neighborhood by neighborhood, street by street, community by community. So when you go to the Capitol on Wednesday, you're going to tell the stories about how you are addressing the tough issues. You're going to talk about housing. You're going to talk about rail safety. And you're going to talk about the transportation investment that you have been making in your communities. Because you're going to talk about water infrastructure and what it means to your residents. And you're going to talk about disaster relief and mitigation. And most of all, you're going to talk about streamlining federal grants. Because you can get those grants, but if you're not able to use them the right way, then it has not been as successful. So that's the big picture of what we have done as local leaders to make America strong. One of the things that I often remember is that when something goes wrong in the state capitol or in Washington, DC, people may complain. As a matter of fact, they do complain. But when something goes wrong in your community, they show up at the grocery store, the restaurant, the gas station, but most of all, they show up at City Hall. And they talk to you. Because you are, in fact, the leader that they can touch, the leader that they can see. But in fact, that's the nature of true leadership: being accessible, being there when I need you. And that's why this year's theme of this conference captures something that is so important. Local governments deliver. Local governments deliver. Not just doing election times, because I remember when I was a mayor and I'd go to make speeches, especially in churches, and I'd walk in the door and they'd say, uh, must be election time. The mayor is here today. And I would bow my head and pray before I go in, because I they ain't lying, because it was election day. But they see you every day. Because in fact, you deliver safe streets, you deliver clean water, you deliver parks where families can take their children. You deliver housing solutions, you deliver economic development opportunities, and most importantly, you deliver trust. I want to pause on that. And I'm gonna say it one more time. You deliver trust. In the last few years, we had a unique opportunity and moment in America history with the bipartisan infrastructure bill. And with the help of our partner, Bloomberg Philanthropies, we delivered more than five billion dollars, which was awarded to about 2,600 communities throughout America. The vast majority of that went to cities, towns, and villages that were under 25,000 population. We delivered. And now, at a time when America feels a certain disconnection, the local government that still earns the greatest trust is the one that is closest to the people. They trust City Hall. And they trust you. That's why cities have always played such an important role in the story of America. This year, our nation is celebrating 250 years since the founding of the United States of America. 250 years of striving, I would say, to a more perfect union that we talk about all the time. The Great Society, the Shining City Hall on the Hill. When we talk, think about that history, we often talk about who was president, who was on the Supreme Court, and the stunning monuments here in Washington, D.C. But I want to tell you, the truth is, most important things happened in America in terms of progress, happened in cities, towns, and villages. Let me take a moment to talk about women's suffrage. Long before, long before the Nineteenth Amendment law came into action and it was adopted. Communities across America were debating the role of women in public office. Local activists established a movement rooted in local communities, which then sprouted into action that couldn't be avoided in Washington, D.C. Think about the civil rights movement. The courage and leadership didn't begin in Washington, D.C. It unfolded in cities, towns, and villages and neighborhoods across America, on buses, in churches, on bridges. Think about the environmental movement. Long before climate resilience became a national priority, local leaders like you were protecting open spaces, organizing river cleanups, and creating the clean economy for energy. You, as local leaders, you are right there working hand in hand with your residents to say we're doing it local, so why don't we just work with the federal government to make it an impact for our entire nation? Innovation always kicks off in cities. Local government was built on diversity. Cities, towns, and villages are where diversity lives side by side. You may live in a different neighborhood, you may have different background, you may have had different experiences and different perspectives. But Jane Jacobs, the original president, told us cities have the capacity of providing something for everybody only because and only when they are created by everybody, getting everybody around the table in our community. A local leader is one who brings people together to build common ground and move communities forward. And that's not easy work, y'all. But it's the work that we must do. And it's essential work because progress in America happens through creating connections person to person across communities, working with small businesses to create job opportunities, being able to help every resident to help build wealth by helping them to get their own home in your communities throughout America. And most of all, I think we all dream about our kids being better off than we are, advancing them so that they are better than their parents. Every day in cities, towns, and villages across America, residents turn to you with their hopes, their dreams, and ask you to do something sometimes unimaginable. They ask you to transform their dreams and hopes into actions. They turn to you to help them have a greater life, a better life. And you know what? That's how democracy happens. And that's how democracy works. Growing stronger for 250 years, and it will work like that for 250 more years. But as we approach this moment in our nation's history, we should remember one important point, or this important point. The American experience has endured 250 years, not because it's perfect. I don't strive for perfection. It has endured because every generation has stepped up. And local leaders have always been at the center of that progress. This is why we are here in the nation's capital. And I want you to know that local leaders are the ones who's gonna figure out all of the challenges that we have in our communities. And then we're gonna work with the state and the federal government to get it done. You don't get around the challenges you see in your communities. You deal with them and you provide solutions. This week we got to remember our theme: local governments deliver. Local governments deliver housing, local governments deliver infrastructure, workforce solutions, transportation, disaster relief, local leaders deliver hope. Hope, y'all. You are the ones that deliver hope for your communities. But hope is a vision, not a plan. So as we deliver that hope, we also have to turn that hope into action. And that's what we're gonna do this week, and I'm gonna be there right with you. Thank you all so much, and I'm so excited to have y'all here. Thank y'all.

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Thanks for listening to City Speak with Clarence Anthony. If you like the show, let us know. Share this episode with your friends, and make sure to subscribe. We're curious to hear what you think, what you want more of, and how we can improve. If you have feedback or an idea for a guest you'd like Clarence to sit down with, send us your thoughts at Cityspeak Podcast at nlc.org. Join us next month for a new episode. Like and subscribe here or wherever you get your podcast. See you next time.