State & Local News Vol. 22, No. 3, Spring 1999 Our Mayor’s Special This edition of the Section’s newsletter should more appropriately be dubbed "The Mayoral Newsletter." Thanks to the hard work of editor Dale Rubin from his outpost in Grundy, Virginia, and that of staff editor Rick Bright, we are proud to present a series of excellent articles from prominent mayors around the country! Urban sprawl and the revitalization of a city’s core is addressed by Mayor Vincent A. Cianci, Jr., in his discussion of Providence’s "New Cities" initiative. Mayor John A. Delaney describes Jacksonville’s "Preservation Project," which fights urban sprawl through public land acquisition and downtown revitalization. Mayor Joe Frank of Newport News, Virginia, explores the stifling effect of Dillon’s Rule on the growth of local governments, also offering interesting insights on the impact of mail order and internet retail sales on the economic future of cities nationwide. Mayor Paul Helmke offers a case study of "Brownfield Revitalization" in Fort Wayne, Indiana, urging cities to learn how to recycle their land as well as they recycle their refuse. Mayor Gregory S. Lashutka describes the operation of Columbus, Ohio’s Task Force on Technology and the Future of the City, exploring the direct link between a city’s technology policies to its potential for success in the twenty-first century—an excellent article on this intriguing topic. Grand Rapids, Michigan’s Mayor John H. Logie presents a challenging view of the effects of racism on a community’s opportunities for success, citing the need for strong affirmative action policies to combat institutional racism from his very unique personal perspective. Mayor Paul Oyaski of Euclid, Ohio (a Cleveland suburb), issues the call for an examination of all public policies that subsidize urban sprawl in order to place the costs of those policies on the jurisdiction that stands to benefit from such "economic erosion." In the best millennial tradition, Baltimore Mayor Kurt Schmoke addresses the challenges of meeting Y2Kcompliance standards, and he proposes interesting legislative initiatives to limit the liability of municipalities that make substantial good faith efforts in this area. All in all, this edition of the newsletter is a real "keeper." Our thanks go out to these excellent contributors, and thanks again to Dale Rubin for his tireless efforts on the Section’s behalf. Enjoy! Larry C. Ethridge, Chair Section of State and Local Government Law State & Local Law News home page | Table of Contents