Mayors to meet in Memphis: but their attention will be focused on Washington.

The National Conference of Black Mayors (NCBM) will mark its battlline in the GOP revolution when the group convenes in Memphis. Their target? The Republican Contract With America.

While many jokingly refer to it as a Contract on America, it's no laughing matter for the nation's 367 black mayors, who are struggling with already strained budgets. Some elements of the contract, such as welfare reform, a balanced-budget amendment and proposed changes to the crime bill, will only result in leaner resources and meaner streets, as many mayors know. Much of their meeting, which runs April 26 through 29, will be devoted to combating the financial brunt cities will inevitably bear.

Since the midterm elections, the Republicans have gained more than just control of Congress--for the most part, they have controlled the debate on the country's future as well. Now, other groups are lining up with their own agendas. In December, the Black Leadership Forum shot back with A Covenant for America's Future. More recently, Project 2 1, an initiative of the National Center for Public Policy Research in Washington, released its Contract With Black America.

Both groups aim to protect and promote the interests of blacks, but they've had little, if any, impact on the Republican's legislative agenda. And while these and other groups are still drafting plans, the Republicans are marching forward with their own. "That's the problem," says Mayor Bill Campbell of Atlanta, who believes people are more concerned with short-term objectives such as job security and safe neighborhoods than they are with the long-term consequences of the contract.

While the debate rages on, the mayors are planning a little revolution of their own. The first step will be educating voters about the elements of the contract. "We've got to do a better job of informing our constituents of the harm they would experience," says Mayor James Sills of Wilmington, Del. "We've got to create some counter political force."

A balanced budget sounds like a great idea, but some mayors contend it will mean higher local taxes and drastic cuts in services. And while everyone agrees that welfare is badly in need of reform, many fear that it will increase homelessness and crime.

According to NCBM President Robert Ingram, the group's approach must include registering massive numbers of voters to ensure voting strength when it's time to go to the polls in 1996. "We must be very specific about what we believe is required as it relates to our communities' economic development and safety," says Ingram, who is the mayor of Opa-Locka, Fla.

And if Congress doesn't get it? "Then," Ingram declares, "we must move those people out and get [others] in who will act with more sensitivity."