NATCHEZ — Natchez Mayor Butch Brown is joining hundreds of mayors from around the country in Washington, D.C., this week to meet with Congressional leaders and administration officials.

Brown, along with 280 mayors, is attending the U.S. Conference of Mayors, where the mayors will meet with government officials to discuss issues related to the economy, jobs, transportation and other topics.

The conference will also include a trip to the White House Thursday for breakout sessions about strengthening education and workforce development, affordable health care, local impacts of climate change, civic technology and boosting trade and exports.

The White House visit will also include conversations with members of the Cabinet and remarks from President Barack Obama.

Brown said he has chosen to attend the health care session to gain more knowledge about the Affordable Care Act that could help Natchez facilitate health care enrollment and relieve the burdens of uncompensated care at Natchez Regional Medical Center and Natchez Community Hospital.

Brown said he will also give a short presentation about the Affordable Care Act Natchez hosted in November. Those efforts, Brown said, have hopefully laid groundwork in the city’s quest to host President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama in Natchez during the 2016 tricentennial celebration.

Brown said the projects of the city, Alcorn State and Mississippi State universities to build a new facility for the Natchez Farmers Market and renovate the former railroad depot on the bluff are in keeping with the first lady’s Let’s Move! campaign to eliminate childhood obesity.

The market and depot projects will include demonstration gardens and nutrition education programs.

Brown is meeting with representatives from the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs and the Office of the First Lady to discuss the project and the tricentennial. He is hoping to generate interest for the tricentennial and other Natchez projects from White House and Congressional officials.