TAMPA, FL (WLIO) – Mayors from across the country are meeting in Florida to discuss common issues facing their communities.
Lima Mayor Sharetta Smith is one of more than 250 mayors attending the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Tampa this weekend. Smith says some of the topics addressed include economic development, infrastructure, and housing.
In 2018, Lima designated three census tracts as Opportunity Zones, and Smith says she learned at the conference that other cities have used their Opportunity Zones to help address housing concerns.
“Actually between 2019 and 2024, opportunity zones are responsible for over 300,000 new addresses across the country, and to hear that this is a tool that's working, I'm excited to be able to break ground on our projects with our opportunity zones soon,” says Mayor Sharetta Smith, Lima.
Smith also participated in a panel discussion with the Columbus mayor to highlight the benefits of the Ohio Mayors Alliance and encouraged other states to adopt similar models.
“The true kind of bread and butter of both the Ohio Mayors’ Alliance and the US Conference of Mayors is the intention of being bipartisan. You know, we always say that there is no democrat, republican or independent pothole, and that's true. Being able to talk across the aisle and develop real solutions and deliver for residents is the value of this organization, and I'm excited to be a part of it,” adds Smith.
The U.S. Conference of Mayors runs through Sunday.
