What Happened?
Fayetteville, North Carolina, recently hired a federal lobbyist to represent the city on the national level to help acquire Congressional grants. The federal lobbying firm will cost the city $7,500 a month for a six-month trial run. The firm’s cost will be a significant reduction from the previous lobbyist Fayetteville was working with that charged $144,000 annually.
The Goal
To make the contract with the lobbyist firm even more affordable, Fayetteville is splitting the final costs with the Fayetteville Regional Chamber as well as Cumberland County. The lobbyists will then seek to arrange Congressional grants for the city, county and chamber in four priority areas:
- Transportation and infrastructure
- Public safety and community quality of life
- Education and training
- Military
According to OpenSecrets.org, Fayetteville and Cumberland County has spent more than $150,000 annually on federal lobbyist work since 2009. The cutback in lobbyist costs in 2013 and moving forward is expected to save the region a minimum of $40,000 annually.
Find The Lobbyists That Fit The Bill
Fayetteville is not the only city looking to bring on federal lobbyist firms to represent the interests of the local government at the federal level to increase access to funding without detracting resources or personnel from community-level tasks. Municipalities nationwide have released RFP’s for federal lobbying services to accommodate specific needs at competitive rates.
In Kansas City, Missouri, for example, an RFP for federal lobbying services to act as a communication liaison between the U.S. Congress and the city’s Port Authority. The lobbyist firm will be responsible for raising awareness of Kansas City issues and concerns at the national level; as well as research, identify, process and monitor grant requests and programs pertinent to the city’s initiatives.
The lobbying firm should also be well-versed in efforts to develop relationships with state Congressional delegates to maintain communication and access to decision makers during key legislative processes. The lobbyists must report on a quarterly basis all activities at the federal level, providing insight on current strategies or opportunities for new federal support in the future.
For a city to be pleased with its lobbyist projects, the firm must offer detailed evaluations and reports while maintaining strong communication with officials in Washington, D.C. as well as at the local level.
Earlier this year, Kansas City opted to work with a retired U.S. senator to perform federal lobbying tasks based on his previous experience in the Washington, D.C. environment. Kansas City’s main priority for the lobbyist was to acquire federal funding for a downtown streetcar project.
Because the U.S. Congress is heavily divided on party lines, Kansas City officials opted for a previous delegate who could help generate support from both sides. Furthermore, the retired senator also served two terms as Missouri governor and one term as a state auditor, demonstrating his extensive knowledge of local government functionality and needs.
Making A Local Case
Gov1 has monitored interest in federal lobbying efforts nationwide that can provide support for vital projects and development.