Rochester Hills Mayor Leads Nation's Mayors To White House

ROCHESTER HILLS, MI — Rochester Hills Mayor Bryan K. Barnett led a delegation of America’s mayors to the White House this month as part of the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) 88th Winter Meeting.

The conference has a long bipartisan history of working with presidents and Barnett says he was grateful to have the opportunity to continue this tradition with President Trump. Barnett currently serves as USCM’s the 77th President.

“While it is no secret that national politics have become crippled by partisanship, mayors know it’s still possible to look past party affiliation and work together on key agreed upon issues affecting our cities. The reality is we have much in common and there is no shortage of areas where the priorities of local and federal governments overlap - particularly infrastructure, public safety, reducing homelessness, addressing the opioid crisis and promoting the 2020 Census."

During the visit, President Donald Trump signed the “Securing American Nonprofit Organizations Against Terrorism Act of 2019” that increases security funding for places of worship and nonprofits by $375 million.

"We’re thankful for his support of this bipartisan legislation that provides much needed support at the local level," Barnett said.

The nation’s nonprofits and faith-based organizations will benefit from grants totaling $375 million over the next five years. The Act will make grants to eligible non-profit and faith-based organizations to fund security enhancements that help protect against potential terrorist attacks.

The Act is particularly important given recent threats against places of worship and other establishments, Barnett's office said. Grant recipients will be able to use funds to enhance physical security equipment and screening systems and training related to security, cybersecurity, terrorism awareness and employee awareness.

“Mayors want nothing more than to make cities better places to live and work for the people we all serve. We thank the President for welcoming the nation’s mayors to the White House," he said. "We look forward to building on our discussions and collaborating on our shared priorities.”