Elected officials of Kilmichael and Duck Hill recently attended three days of training and leadership development presented at the Mississippi Municipal League’s 93rd Annual Conference at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum & Convention Center.
At this year conference, titled “Lights, Camera, Governance!” the League celebrated 93 years of service to Mississippi’s cities and towns.
“As a League, we believe strong cities and towns can build a stronger, more prosperous Mississippi. By bringing together elected and appointed municipal officials, MML’s Annual Conference affords these local leaders the opportunity to learn best practices critical to the success of their communities. It spurs conversations on ideas that can advance individual municipalities, and it creates a platform for us to speak with one voice as we prepare for the next legislative session. We look forward to a productive conference,” said Hattiesburg Mayor Toby Barker, 2023 - 2024 MML President.
An estimated 2,500 municipal elected officials, municipal employees, state agency representatives, legislators, exhibitors and others attended this annual event. Many state and federal agencies provided speakers for the educational sessions. They included the Attorney General’s office, State Auditor’s office, Mississippi Development Authority, Mississippi Planning and Development Districts and Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, among others. Topics included state law updates, grant opportunities, broadband expansion and availability, municipal liability issues, community and economic development, infrastructure funding, disaster recovery, and water and sewer issues.
Other conference highlights included the presentation of the 2024 Municipal Excellence Awards, an induction ceremony for the 2024 Municipal Hall of Fame and an expo show, showcasing almost 200 businesses, state agencies and other organizations. This year’s general session featured a keynote address from the MS State Auditor’s Office where an important update on municipal financial reporting was given to attendees. Also at the conference, the Certified Municipal Official graduation took place, recognizing more than 200 municipal officials for their achievement in the program.
The mission of the Mississippi Municipal League is helping cities and towns excel. MML is a non-partisan association established in 1931, representing 290 city, town and village governments in Mississippi. MML is also affiliated with the National League of Cities, a lobbying, legislative and legal arm representing municipalities before the U.S. Congress.
