Local Perspectives: Mayors in American Governance

On April 1st, the State Democracy Research Initiative and the UW GovLaw Society hosted a panel discussion: “Local Perspectives: Mayors in American Governance.” This panel highlighted the important work of local governments by offering perspectives from mayors from around the United States. Our panelists discussed the varied structures and powers of their local governments as well as their interactions with the public and with other officials at the local, state, and federal levels. Panelists included Mayor Julia Arata-Fratta of Fitchburg, Wisconsin; Mayor David Holt of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Mayor Kim Norton of Rochester, Minnesota; Mayor Steve Patterson of Athens, Ohio; and Mayor Sangeetha Rayapati of Moline, Illinois. Professor Miriam Seifter moderated the discussion.