Mayors opt to join D.C. talks

Focus on infrastructure in session with White House officials

WASHINGTON — Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola and Springdale Mayor Doug Sprouse met with White House officials Wednesday to discuss infrastructure priorities and to hear brief remarks from President Donald Trump.

Stodola, who serves as president of the National League of Cities, and Sprouse opted not to boycott the gathering, as several other mayors had done.

The League and Little Rock’s city government are both nonpartisan, Stodola noted.

“We represent conservatives, liberals, independents, we represent Republicans and Democrats [and] whatever other stripes there might be,” Stodola said. “I think it was important to listen to the administration very directly. And to the extent that I can have a voice to influence that direction to help cities, that is my singular objective.”

Sprouse, a nonpartisan mayor who serves as president of the Arkansas Municipal League, said he welcomed the opportunity to work with the administration.

“I agree with a lot of the policies President Trump is implementing,” he said. “I think it’s important that we’re up to speed and engaged on the negotiations of the infrastructure bill as it moves forward.”

Wednesday’s “Working Session with Mayors,” which drew dozens of local government chiefs, coincided with the annual winter meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington.

Mayors were eager to hear about the administration’s plans for improving the nation’s roads, bridges, rail lines and runways.

Among other things, Stodola wants the administration to support the release of the $9 billion that is currently held in the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund. The tax revenue can’t be spent without congressional approval.

Hours before the White House event, the Department of Justice threatened 23 jurisdictions that haven’t cooperated with federal immigration enforcement efforts.

Those jurisdictions included the nation’s three largest cities — New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago — as well as the states of California, Illinois and Oregon.

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and leaders of several other “sanctuary cities” subsequently announced that they would not meet with Trump.

Portland, Ore., Mayor Ted Wheeler called the administration’s latest attack on sanctuary cities “insulting” and “dangerous,” arguing that it “demonstrates a lack of a moral compass in the leadership of the United States of America.”

During a 16-minute speech, Trump portrayed the boycott as a failure and promised to “hold accountable” the sanctuary cities, calling them “the best friend of gangs and cartels.”

“My administration is committed to protecting innocent Americans, and the mayors who choose to boycott this event have put the needs of criminal illegal immigrants over law-abiding Americans. But let me tell you, the vast majority of people showed up. OK? The vast majority. Because the vast majority believe in safety for your city,” he added.

The speech highlighted the nation’s growing economy, its low unemployment and its rising stock markets but included few details about infrastructure. Trump said the administration would likely unveil its plan “in a week or two.”

The proposal will probably call for an investment of about $1.7 trillion, he added.

“We’re still looking for details,” Stodola said afterward.

He characterized the meeting as worthwhile.

“I think it’s very important for me to share our priorities with the administration, and I think the best way to do that is face to face when you have that opportunity,” he said.

Local governments need to get their “fair share” of the money, Stodola said. “We think it needs to go directly to the cities as opposed to … going through the states.”

“Most of the funding of infrastructure is done by the local communities. It’s locally driven decisions on what’s most needed, so local leaders of cities large and small are best positioned to identify where that infrastructure need is.”

Sprouse said infrastructure funding is a high priority for his city.

“Next month, the voters of Springdale are voting to extend a penny sales tax that would generate about $80 million in road improvements, and I fully expect it to pass. Probably by a wide margin,” he said. “When you’re growing as fast as we are, infrastructure is a vital component.”

Asked how he obtained an invitation to the event, Sprouse said, “Your guess is as good as mine. I got an invitation. I didn’t know if I was one of 100 or one of 10,000.”

It was a quick trip. He flew up Wednesday morning and headed home Wednesday evening, taking advantage of Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport’s nonstop flights to Washington.

“One of the valuable things on a trip like this is to meet the president’s staff and to get acquainted with some of the people that really help [guide] the decision-making and then to build those relationships,” he said. “From that perspective, I think it was well worth coming.”

“I agree with a lot of the policies President Trump is implementing. I think it’s important that we’re up to speed and engaged on the negotiations of the infrastructure bill as it moves forward.” — Springdale Mayor Doug Sprouse