Arkansas civic leaders to gather for annual forum

The annual Arkansas Municipal League Conference will commence in downtown Little Rock with Gov. Asa Hutchinson and the executive director of the National League of Cities speaking to officials from across the state.

The conference is in its 82nd year. About 1,300 mayors, aldermen and city leaders from Arkansas, as well as some state legislators, are expected to attend.

Hutchinson is the featured speaker at the opening banquet at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Statehouse Convention Center and Marriott Hotel in Little Rock, where the conference will take place Wednesday through Friday.

Thursday's opening session at 8:45 a.m. will be led by Clarence Anthony, executive director of the National League of Cities.

Close to 20 workshops that cover subjects like community policing, capital improvement project funding, annexation and zoning laws will take place at the convention.

"The convention will also include a session of the League's Voluntary Certified Continuing Education Program for municipal officers, covering the topic 'Working in a Social World,' which aims to help cities create a vibrant and effective social media strategy while protecting themselves from information overload and cyber threats," a news release said.

Stephens Mayor Harry Brown will take over as president of the Municipal League at the convention, which ends Batesville Mayor Rick Elumbaugh's reign.

The league is an organization that advocates for Arkansas cities and provides various services for them, including health care and legal representation if the cities subscribe to those services. It was created in 1934 and currently has a membership of all cities and towns in the state.

Registration starts at 1 p.m. Wednesday with various sessions throughout the day. The convention concludes at 1:30 p.m. Friday after an awards luncheon.

A complete schedule of workshops and speakers is available by accessing www.arml.org and by clicking on "82nd Convention Agenda" on the homepage.

Metro on 06/14/2016

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