Tampa Bay mayors learn from the rest of the nation

The big picture: They joined around 200 mayors of cities with more than 30,000 residents, representing dozens of states.

• Panel topics include managing the influx of migrants, supporting startups, electric vehicles, developing passenger rail, and promoting tourism.

Zoom in: St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch said he learned a lot from a panel on "tapping the power of DEI and accessibility" that will help inform his search for a chief equity officer.

• He bonded with the mayors of Nashville and Jackson, Mississippi, over discussions of preemption.
• Tampa Mayor Jane Castor told Axios she bonded with the new mayors of Los Angeles and Chicago, as well as Jacksonville's newly elected first woman mayor.

What they're saying: Largo Mayor Woody Brown came away with a long list of ideas to bring to his city including infrastructure grants, affordable housing programs and ways to promote local businesses. "I think there are some zero or no-cost things we can do to help our city right away.

• The gathering was a refreshing moment of nonpartisan collaboration, he said. "The potholes don't really care if you're a Democrat or Republican," he said. "It's a really nice collaborative, cooperative environment. We've all got different walks of life, but we all have similar problems as cities."

What's ahead: Tampa will host the conference in 2025, Castor told Axios.