WASHINGTON, DC -- District of Columbia Mayor Anthony A. Williams will preside over the first meeting of The U.S. Conference of Mayors Task Force on Electronic Commerce and Internet Technology on November 16. Mayors who serve on the Task Force will hear expert testimony and engage in a discussion on effectively applying sales taxes to commercial transactions that occur on the Internet. The Task Force has been charged by Denver Mayor and Conference President Wellington E. Webb with recommending policy and legislative strategy to help cities win approval of legislation that will enable them to collect sales taxes on electronic commerce.

In addition, Mayors will address methodologies for attracting Internet businesses to cities, the use of technologies to improve city services, and closing the "digital divide".

WHEN: Tuesday, November 16, 1999, 1:00 p.m.- 4:00 p.m.

WHERE: Jefferson Junior High School Library, 801 Seventh St. S.W., Washington, D.C.

AGENDA:

I. Chairman’s Opening Remarks

II. Members Opening Remarks

III. Brief Overview of Big 7 Proposal and Strategy

• Utah Governor Michael Leavitt, President, National Governors’ Association
• Ray Scheppach, Executive Director, National Governors’ Association

IV. Presentations:

A. Streamlined Sales Tax System for the 21^st Century

• Harley Duncan, Federation of Tax Administrators
• Doug Lindholm, Committee on State Taxation
• David Smith, Walmart
• Questions from the Mayors

B. Using Electronic Commerce to Generate Economic Development

• Jay Young, D.C. Technology Council
• Questions from the Mayors

C. Using Technology To Improve The Delivery of Services

• Suzanne Peck, D.C. Chief Technology Officer

D. The Digital Divide

• Michael Mazerov, Center on Budget Policy and Priorities
• Kelly Levy, U.S. Department of Commerce
• Hillary Shelton, NAACP
• Questions from the Mayors

V. Discussion of Draft Resolution

TASK FORCE MEMBERS:

• Mayor Anthony A. Williams, Washington, D.C., Chairman
• Mayor Victor Ashe, Knoxville, TN
• Mayor Kenneth Barr, Fort Worth, TX
• Mayor Sara Bost, Irvington, N.J.
• Mayor Bill Campbell, Atlanta, GA
• Mayor Kathryn Campana, Scottsdale, AZ
• Mayor Norm Coleman, St Paul, MN
• Mayor Rosemary Corbin, Richmond, CA
• Mayor Joseph Delfino, White Plains, N.Y.
• Mayor John Fernandez, Bloomington, IN
• Mayor Joseph P. Ganim, Bridgeport, CT
• Mayor Michael Guido, Dearborn, MI
• Mayor Harvey Johnson, Jackson, MS
• Mayor Thomas P. Minino, Boston, MA
• Mayor Vera Katz, Portland, OR
• Mayor William E. Ward, Chesapeke, VA
• Mayor Don Weseley, Lincoln, NE

Jefferson Junior High School has been noted by Mayor Williams for its state-of-the-art technology and computer lab training facility. Reporters interested in an early afternoon tour of the facility should contact the Conference for scheduling.

The U. S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are about 1,100 such cities in the country today. Each city is represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the Mayor.

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