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| Invitations to the first Regional Meeting were sent to surrounding counties "within driving distance" of the host city. |
The year was
1931. The League’s membership had grown to 350 cities since its
founding, and some on the executive committee were concerned that “our annual
conventions are becoming more formal in character as our membership increases.”
So a few on the
committee suggested holding more informal meetings throughout
the state, where municipal officials could gather to discuss what was going on
in their area. Hence the idea of Regional Meetings was born!
The first Regional
Meeting was held in Morris on October 22 of that year. One hundred members
gathered that fall to discuss issues such as: poor relief (could community fund
drives be held?), licensing and controlling of peddlers and solicitors (what
could be done about the “undesirability of house to house canvassers?”), public
utilities (should municipalities control electric light companies?), and taxes
(could property taxes possibly be reduced by adopting an income tax?).
More than eighty years later, League staffers still hit the road every fall to discuss timely
topics with members around the state. With more than 800 members currently, Regional
Meetings are now held in several locations (eight in the fall of 2017!), with several
hundred city officials attending.
This year we’ll
discuss technology challenges and trends (what resources are available to help your city navigate this ever-changing domain?), the legislative session (what’s in store for 2018?), building trust (what are some
concrete actions you can take to strengthen relationships with others?), and
next-generation leadership (how can cities support emerging leaders in our communities?).
This fall's meetings begin in just two short weeks! Will we see you out there in a city near you?
This post was updated on September 21, 2017.
This post was updated on September 21, 2017.
