Creating Community

Florida Trend, Sep 2009 by Crane, Charlotte

Tallahassee Mayor John Marks became president of the Florida League of Cities last month. Here are his views on issues facing Florida communities:

* Key Concerns: "Because local economies will drive Florida's future, we need to invest in infrastructure to help metro areas grow. One area is broadband technology. Another: Green initiatives. The third area is transportation - I mean concentrating on how we move people, as opposed to how we move vehicles."

* Community: "What you want to do as mayor is cultivate a community of interest and improve the quality of life in the place where you are. And that can mean a regional community. A couple of years ago, I initiated the Big Bend Regional Partnership to prompt interaction between local governments in six counties and create a regional community of interest. We work together?'

* Florida's Capital: "Economic development has been a focus for me. Tallahassee shouldn't depend on state government to be our primary economic engine. Our environment is important. Tallahassee is the state's first gold-certified green city, and it has the lowest carbon footprint of any Florida city with a generating electric utility. What works in Tallahassee won't necessarily work in other Florida cities. Every municipality in Florida is different. State government needs to recognize home rule. But our metro areas do have needs in common."

* The Customer: "We have to put citizens first. Cities are the government closest to the people. Rather than interference, we need to develop and build a new environment of trust and cooperation between local and state government."