Over the last few weeks, we’ve seen a lot of chaos in Washington, D.C. The Trump administration is slashing critical national security jobs at the federal level, and at the same time freezing funds we need to support public safety and basic services at the local level. We are experiencing a radical shift in the relationship between the federal government and local communities, as the Trump administration seeks to prevent our tax dollars from coming back to small towns and big cities alike, jeopardizing local police and fire departments, road repairs, public schools, affordable housing, and so much more.
For most communities, it will be difficult, if not impossible, to replace all the federal funding that may be cut. Still, mayors have a duty to do everything they can to preserve and find new ways to expand critical services to meet local needs. Regardless of the federal landscape, cities and local leaders can—and must—take action.
Local action and collaboration is at the heart of the organization we lead—Accelerator for America (AFA)—which brings mayors and other local leaders together to share and develop solutions to pressing challenges.
San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg, an AFA Advisory Council member, recently invited more than 100 local leaders to see his city’s Ready to Work initiative. It wasn’t his first time sharing this workforce training model—after Phoenix leaders visited San Antonio, Phoenix launched a new training program whose participants exit with jobs that earn them, on average, twice as much as they earned before. Similarly, after a delegation of Kansas City leaders visited San Antonio and engaged with Ready to Work, Kansas City is creating a new initiative to help women secure well-paying electrical, carpentry, and other construction trade jobs.
Ready to Work is designed to provide more than 15,000 local residents with clear pathways to good-paying careers through industry-recognized certifications, degree programs, and support services such as child care so people can participate in training and job placement services. Ready to Work partners with San Antonio employers to connect residents to jobs for today and training for the jobs available from new investments in the city. These partnerships make San Antonio a great place to live and a more attractive place to do business. It’s a win-win, and it’s funded by a local sales tax passed by San Antonio voters. Simply put, the program’s goal is to strengthen San Antonio’s families, economy, tax base, and businesses independently from the federal government, and other cities are already replicating its approach.
The cities of Columbus, Nashville, and Phoenix are also sharing with their peers how in 2024, with the help of Accelerator for America Action, they successfully secured $35 billion in local funding for infrastructure projects that will cut commutes, boost businesses, and support an abundance of good-paying jobs. This sort of local funding model is particularly important given the threat of funding freezes of expenditures made by the historic federal infrastructure bill.
Make no mistake—we will be the first ones to say “thank you” if President Trump delivers reforms and resources to make our residents’ lives better. We’re ready to partner with anyone who will help pave our streets, support investment in new housing, create good jobs, and keep our residents safe.
As we local leaders continue to work towards federal partnership, we must also recognize the power we have—in our own cities, counties, towns, and villages—to help each other take action. Together, cities can create the national change we need, from the ground up.
Kate Gallego is the Mayor of Phoenix, Arizona. Quinton Lucas is the Mayor of Kansas City, Missouri. Mayor Gallego and Mayor Lucas are Co-Chairs of the Accelerator for America Advisory Council. Mary Ellen Wiederwohl is President and CEO of Accelerator for America.
The views expressed in this article are the writers’ own.
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