Ken Welch to meet with Joe Biden administration at the White House

St. Petersburg’s next Mayor is meeting with Joe Biden administration officials Tuesday at the White House, his transition team announced Monday.

St. Petersburg Mayor-elect Ken Welch is joining other mayors and mayors-elect to meet with key White House officials and Cabinet secretaries to discuss the bipartisan new infrastructure law — the American Rescue Plan — as well as the Build Back Better agenda and other federal priorities that affect local governments.

“I am honored to be invited to the White House to talk with other incoming mayors and Biden administration officials about key issues facing St. Petersburg and other cities,’’ Welch said in a statement. “It’s an excellent opportunity to brainstorm solutions to challenges that are important to our residents, including affordable housing, climate change and investment in infrastructure.”

“We want to make sure St. Petersburg gets its share of federal dollars, and we want to build strong relationships at every level of government to ensure we are all working together to creatively address the issues that our residents have made clear are their top priorities,” Welch added.

Welch and other participants will meet with:

— U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge

— U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg

— U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Martin J. Walsh

— Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Intergovernmental Affairs Julie Rodriguez

— Assistant to the President and National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy

— Senior Adviser to the President and American Rescue Plan Coordinator Gene Sperling

— Senior Adviser to the President and Infrastructure Implementation Coordinator Mitch Landrieu

Welch was elected Mayor in November, defeating City Council member Robert Blackmon with more than 60% of the citywide vote. He will replace incumbent Mayor Rick Kriseman Jan. 6. Welch will be the city’s first Black Mayor.

Other participants include:

— Mayor Jim Ross, Arlington, Texas

— Mayor-elect Andre Dickens, Atlanta, Georgia

— Mayor Michelle Wu, Boston, Massachusetts

— Mayor Tim Kelly, Chattanooga, Tennessee

— Mayor-elect Justin Bibb, Cleveland, Ohio

— Mayor-elect Aftab Pureval, Cincinnati, Ohio

— Mayor-elect Daniel Rickenmann, Columbia, South Carolina

— Mayor-elect Eric Adams, New York City, New York

— Mayor-elect Bruce Harrell, Seattle, Washington