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Several years ago, Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley recognized the need for a new spirit of cooperation between the Chicago area's municipalities. His vision was to unite Mayors from the six-county region in a common cause — to push beyond the boundaries of local interests in order to serve the greater interests of us all. In 1997, Mayor Daley invited Mayors from nine suburban municipal associations to talk about this vision. The Metropolitan Mayors Caucus was formed out of that discussion. Today, it is an active collaboration between Chicago and the suburban associations. It is a forum for independent thinking and discussion regarding important public policy issues. And, when there is consensus, it is also a powerful voice and force for change, creating programs and supporting legislation that improves our well-being and overall quality of life. Much has been accomplished to date. More will be done tomorrow, not just for a few, but for the 8 million people in 273 municipalities that the Caucus proudly serves.
The 273 Mayors who make up the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus understand that Chicago and its surrounding municipalities have much in common. We know that the metropolitan areas that work together will be the ones that succeed in the global economy of the 21st Century.
Since the Caucus was founded in 1997, we’ve achieved notable successes in the areas of economic development, electrical service reliability, workforce development, affordable housing, infrastructure, the environment and emergency preparedness. In seeking new industries, we try to compete against other regions and other countries, not against each other. On many area-wide issues, we now speak with a unified voice in the legislative chambers in Springfield and Washington. We expect to achieve even more in the future — working through the Caucus toward the common vision of a better quality of life for all of us who live and work in the metropolitan Chicago region.
Welcome from the Caucus' 2009-2010 Chair
Joe Cook
Mayor, Village of Channahon
Welcome to the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus’ website on behalf of the Chicago Region’s 273 Mayors and Village Presidents!
The Metropolitan Mayors Caucus brings our region’s leaders together to develop consensus and meet the many challenges and opportunities we face collectively as municipalities. By uniting regionally and working with the Illinois General Assembly, we are able to address topical issues and promote our constituencies’ interests across the state and nationally.
Our committees and task forces meet regularly to craft policy and act on current needs and issues. Guided by Mayors, they provide information, technical assistance, programs, and support to communities across the region.
This website will provide you with information regarding our work, and we hope that you find it useful.
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Last Updated: February 2, 2009
- hundreds of millions of people will come together to call for action on climate change by doing something quite simple—turning off their lights for one hour. The movement symbolizes that by working together, each of us can make a positive impact in this fight, protecting our future and that of future generations. Learn more about how Earth Hour began, download tools to participate, and learn what is in store for 2010 at My Earth Hour
- The Caucus is pleased to offer a monthly information series to its members on tools for saving money and generating revenue. For more information, click here.
- For three hours every other Saturday, residents of the Village of Oswego bring telephones, radios, TVs, computers, and other recyclable electronics to the Village’s public works facility. The goal is to keep electronic material from ending up in landfills, and since the first event in August 2007, Oswego’s E-Recycle program has succeeded in preventing over 113 tons of electronics from doing just that. Find out more about Oswego’s E-Recycle program at the CMAP Website. If there are specific green practice case studies you would like to read about, or if you'd like to see your community featured in the spotlight, contact Lori Heringa by phone at 312-386-8621, or by email.
- Learn about innovative voice and data technologies that can reduce your operational costs, increase the reliability of your telecommunications system and increase employee effectiveness.
Hear how other municipalities are already taking advantage of CIMCO and their solutions
Learn about CIMCO's 25-year history in the Chicago area
Tour our state-of-the-art Network Management Center
Enjoy drinks & appetizers. More information on the events page.
- Learn about designing and implementing successful green cleaning programs at the February 24th workshop. More information is available on the Clean Air Counts page.
- Ensuring a complete count is critical to Illinois. Census data is used to determine the number of seats Illinois holds in the U.S. House of Representatives, how communities plan for the future and federal funding. For every person counted in Illinois, approximately $1,200 annually in federal dollars comes to Illinois. Tools for promoting the Census are available at the Census Partners Website. For promotional materials, please contact Eve Pytel.
- Showcase your community! Inspire your peers! If you are using best practices in energy efficiency, stormwater management, green buildings, waste, or other environmental initiatives, CMAP wants to hear from you. Please consider sharing your experiences and practical advice. Across the region, local governments have been telling us they want to hear from their peers about green practices they are undertaking. We will highlight your community or forest preserve, park, or conservation district as a case study on our upcoming web page “Spotlight on Green Communities,” featuring a different local government each month. To participate, and/or tell us what green practices you want to hear about, contact Lori Heringa (312-386-8621 lheringa@cmap.illinois.gov).
- Chicago Mayors Richard M. Daley (City of Chicago) and Jeffery T. Sherwin (City of Northlake and Chair, Metropolitan Mayors Caucus) host mayors from the metropolitan area honoring the company of JERSEY BOYS, commemorating over two years of performances in Chicago at the Bank of America Theatre. For pictures and video click on the news page.
- clean up your municipality’s diesel truck and construction equipment fleet with advanced pollution controls with funding from IL EPA.
- are available on the Census Partner website. The Tool Kit Overview provides a step-by-step guide for census partner participation. New resources include web banners and buttons, and website copy.
- In 2008, the Electronic Products Recycling & Reuse Act was signed into law. The legislation makes electronics manufacturers responsible for recycling or refurbishing E-Waste, the fastest growing component of the solid waste stream. The Caucus has created this FAQ to help municipal leaders understand how the legislation will impact communities.
On July 9, 2007, member mayors attending the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus’s business meeting unanimously approved a motion to recommend the region’s nine Councils of Government and the City of Chicago approve adoption of the Caucus’s Greenest Region Compact. The Compact is a voluntary initiative to improve the region’s air, water and land, reduce greenhouse gases, minimize waste, and reduce energy consumption through a series of environmental actions. Three priority strategies have been identified: residential water conservation education and regulation, e-waste recycling, and CFL bulb distribution. It is our goal that all our municipalities join onto the Compact and implement the priority strategies as a first step. If you have any questions or need additional information, please call Kate Agasie at (312) 201-4508.
The Caucus and its partners have produced Retail 1-2-3, a toolkit for local elected and appointed officials, citizen leaders, and the development community as they work to attract and retain businesses. For more information, please go to the Economic Development page.
The Caucus recently released Home Grown: Local Housing Strategies in Action, a compilation of housing-related best practices from the Chicago region. To download a copy, or for more information, please check out the Housing page.
Updated information on the Telecommunications Task Force, including a Video Programming and Internet Protocol Service Tool Kit is available to assist our member municipalities with potential changes in the cable television/video services industry.
Last Updated: February 1, 2010
[Listing of Events]
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