Two Arlington City Council Members Appointed to National League of Cities Committees
By Susan Schrock, Office of Communication
Posted on December 01, 2020, December 01, 2020

Arlington City Council representatives Dr. Victoria Farrar-Myers and Dr. Barbara Odom-Wesley have been appointed to serve on National League of Cities committees.

Arlington City Council representatives Dr. Victoria Farrar-Myers and Dr. Barbara Odom-Wesley have been appointed to serve on National League of Cities committees.

Dr. Farrar-Myers, Arlington City Council District 7 at-large representative, has been re-appointed to a second term as vice-chair of the National League of Cities (NLC) 2020 Finance, Administration and Intergovernmental Relations Committee.

This committee is responsible for developing policy positions and leading NLC’s advocacy on issues involving intergovernmental relations (including Federalism and unfunded mandates), Census, municipal pensions, municipal bonds and capital finance, tax reform, antitrust issues, civil rights, and labor relations. Most recently, the FAIR committee has focused on protecting the interests of cities in federal tax reform efforts, including the tax exemption of municipal bonds, and advocating for local taxing authority on online remote sales transactions.

As committee members, Dr. Farrar-Myers and Dr. Odom-Wesley will play key roles among a diverse group of local leaders in shaping NLC’s policy positions and advocating on behalf of America’s cities and towns before Congress, with the administration and at home.

“As local policy makers, we want to be able to make choices that best fit our community,” Dr. Farrar-Myers said. “Serving on this committee provides us with an opportunity to directly relate the issues we are experiencing first-hand with our federal representatives to help ensure that federal policy provides more flexibility to local leaders and better reflects the unique needs of our communities.”

Dr. Odom-Wesley, Arlington City Council District 8 at-large representative, has been appointed to a one-year term as vice-chair of the National League of Cities (NLC) 2020 Transportation & Infrastructure Services Committee.

This committee is responsible for leading NLC’s policy development and advocacy on transportation connectivity, including federal funding, safety and innovation in all modes of transportation. The Committee’s policy development includes working subcommittees on roads and bridges, transit, rail, aviation and ports as well as transportation technology. Through the Committee’s advocacy, NLC is a leading voice on fixing the Highway Trust Fund, integrating drones into the national airspace with FAA, and the national deployment of autonomous vehicles with USDOT, among many other smart city issues.

“We want to be among the thought-leaders in the areas of transportation and infrastructure advances,” Dr. Odom-Wesley said. “Our representation and participation on this committee will not only bring us visibility and recognition for our innovative initiatives, it will provide us with opportunities to collaborate with leaders across the country who are tackling these same community challenges.”

The appointments were announced by NLC President Kathy Maness, councilmember, Lexington, South Carolina.

“Our federal advocacy committees are the voices of what’s happening on the ground in our communities,” said Kathy Maness, councilmember of Lexington, South Carolina, and President of the National League of Cities (NLC). “I am proud to have Dr. Victoria Farrar-Myers and Dr. Barbara Odom-Wesley join NLC's Federal Advocacy Committees on behalf of their residents. Together with a team of local leaders from around the country, we will work to solve the most pressing challenges facing our communities.”

For more information on NLC’s federal advocacy committees, visit: www.nlc.org/advocacy/committees.


Support Youth and Families, Champion Great Neighborhoods, Enhance Regional Mobility
News, Government, City Council