Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program and the National League of Cities hosted a forum on city fiscal conditions, the responses being undertaken by creative mayors, and the implications for national economic recovery. Brookings Vice President Bruce Katz and National League of Cities Executive Director Donald Borut opened the event. Following reviews of current and projected trends in local government fiscal conditions by Chris Hoene of the National League of Cities and Steve Cochrane of Moody's Economy.com, Wall Street Journal economics editor David Wessel moderated a panel of sitting mayors, including Michael Nutter of Philadelphia; Chuck Reed of San José, California; Scott Smith of Mesa, Arizona; and Elaine Walker of Bowling Green, Kentucky. Jared Bernstein, chief economist and economic policy advisor to Vice President Joseph Biden, closed the session.