By Okon Ekpenyong and Grace Washington

As the Mayor of Columbus, the host city, Andrew Ginther rose to the occasion by showing the city that has over 900,000 people, the 14th largest city in the nation, is not only a welcoming place for all, but it is also a perfect place to host an important conference that brings together over 80 mayors from across the country. 

Having the conference in the city for the first time is a big deal. Mayor Ginther, the second vice president of the United States Conference of Mayors, Ginther, has consistently supported initiatives to alleviate poverty and inequality in the city, a vision past and present mayors hope to leave behind when they are no longer mayors. 

A vocal proponent of economic development in the city, he advocates for policies that boost employment, reduce gun violence, and attract businesses. He also ensures that the voices of the immigrant and refugee communities are heard and have the resources necessary to succeed. And this is why he was the perfect candidate to chair the Council on Metro Economics and the New American City. 

Mayor Sayta Rhodes-Conway, the Mayor of Madison, the capital of Wisconsin, co-chaired the session. In the Madison Metropolitan area, over 45,000 immigrants, or seven percent of the population, are foreign-born, according to the profile of the foreign-born population.

James Diffley, the executive director of the industry services and consulting group for Economics and S&P Global Market Intelligence, provided the latest US Metro Economies, focusing on GMP and job forecasts. Regarding US metro areas’ total gross metropolitan product, Columbus ranked 137th with $175.3 billion. With a gross product of country GDP and a metro area of $151.00, Columbus ranks 92 globally, which is $10.2 billion less than Cinncinati. 

With Intel coming to Licking County and Honda’s EV Battery plant coming to Fayette Licking County, it will continue to help drive economic growth and welfare to Central Ohio. 

Maria G Waxman, director of State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, and Laura McDaniel, Policy Outreach Lead from the Department of Treasury, were among those who spoke about the ARPA’s State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund. Luck Bronin, Mayor of Hartford, CT, and Paige G Cognetti, Mayor of Scranton, PA, also spoke. Justin Bibb, the Mayor of Cleveland, focused on promoting immigrant entrepreneurs, while the Mayor of Hartford, Connecticut, focused on retirement security for immigrant workers. 

In his remarks, Interise’s CEO, Darrell Byers, spoke about the importance of supporting minority-owned businesses in low-income communities by creating an inclusive economy. Bank of America Community Banking Strategy Executive, Shannah Stephens, discussed how the bank works to improve financial lives and neighborhoods by providing startup and small business opportunities. 

Deloitte principal, Sean Conlin, used data to demonstrate the placement and allocation of federal infrastructure funds signed into law by President Biden in November 2021. 

During our interview with Mayor Ginther, we touched on three main areas: immigrant & refugee communities, what other elected officials can learn from the city of Columbus, and the Council on Metro Economic Development and New America City. 

Public-Private partnerships:

P3 projects are where the private sector partners with the government on a particular project but shares significant risks around financing, construction, and long-term maintenance responsibilities. 

“In Columbus, we have discussed public-private partnerships and how the public sector works with the private sector. A part of that commitment is seeing more economic and neighborhood development, not just job creation. For example, Nationwide Children’s Hospital is now one of the biggest in America. The investments nationwide Children’s Hospital makes in the housing market for low-income families and the number of people they hire from the South side neighborhoods where the hospital is one of my many examples to share with other cities,” said Mayor Ginther. 

Andrew Dickens, Atlanta’s Mayor and chair of the Public-Private Partnership Task Force, moderated the session on Public-Private Partnerships. Patricia Lock Dawson, Mayor of Riverside, California, was one of the panelists. The Mayor presented a diagram of how one private sector did approach the city to help improve their broadband access, which could have contributed to the local economy in many ways. That project is still pending final approval. 

Metro Economies: 

In the metro economies report the new Americans comprise a disproportionate number of startup businesses. There are incredible entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout this community and country. Roughly 90% of America’s growth has been in our metro areas and economies. The immigrant community plays a critical part in that growth. As our region continues to grow, and the labor market is what it is, new Americans contribute by providing the infrastructure and creating the jobs we need. 

Violence Prevention:

We want to be a safe, welcoming, and friendly city. Whether you were born here on the other side of the world, we want the best and brightest in Columbus. Helping you launch a business, growing a business, getting an education, ensuring your kids grow up in a safe, thriving neighborhood, and getting a high-quality education is what we’re here for and part of our effort. 

Welcoming City:

Some places in the country blame or scapegoat immigrants and refugees, but we welcome them as there are so many ethnicities here, and they will be able to connect with residents from their home lane and help them build a better future.

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