I recently returned from a trip to Washington, where the League of California Cities leadership and over 150 California city officials advocated for top city priorities. The timing was particularly important, as Congress was considering a vote on a stop-gap funding measure.

During our visit, we met with senior lawmakers, like Reps. Pete Aguilar and Jim Costa, and newly elected officials like Rep. Laura Friedman to introduce ourselves and outline our priorities. Regardless of their tenure, our objective was the same: Foster relationships with the members of Congress and share local stories.

Strong relationships with state and federal lawmakers are foundational to cities’ collective success. We depend on our federal partners to realize important infrastructure projects and community programs. And when they’re making critical funding and policy decisions, it’s up to us to make sure there is a face behind the budget line item or the policy vote.

That’s why our trip to Washington could not have come at a more important time. There is a significant amount of uncertainty at the federal level right now that will inevitably impact state funding and policy decisions. A lot is at stake for cities.

In my city of Rancho Cucamonga, we have worked for years with the U.S. Forest Service and Rep. Judy Chu to leverage state and federal grant funding to purchase 122 new acres to build a new public hiking trail system and expand a protected region for endangered and threatened species. This 122-acre project would create a safe way for residents to enjoy the outdoors without threatening endangered plants and animals. But with federal budget cuts on the horizon, that grant funding — and the certainty of the project — is now up in the air.

My city also depends heavily on the federal Community Development Block Grant, which injects one million dollars into the city programs every year to revitalize neighborhoods and address community needs. These dollars are crucial for Rancho Cucamonga but could be on the chopping block later this year.

If we want to prevent uncertainty at the federal level from trickling down to our local programs and services, we as city officials must use our voices. It is more critical than ever that we cultivate and invest in strong relationships with our federal partners. These relationships must be built on a strong foundation of trust, communication, and support.

These relationships must also be built on accountability. It is our job to hold our federal lawmakers accountable for their decisions and their impacts on our communities.

Conversely, it is up to us to prove that when partners in Congress go to bat for us and help secure local funding, we can invest that money transparently, efficiently, and effectively to uplift our communities.

During the trip, federal representatives implored us to tell them concrete stories about how federal funding cuts could impact California cities. Every decision-maker — regardless of political party — needs to hear the stories of city officials and how federal decisions will impact our cities and residents. Our job is to put the face behind the number and humanize funding decisions and priorities.

One of the ways we do that is by contacting the National League of Cities. Local leaders with questions about the status of their grants or the impact of recent federal executive actions on local decisions can contact NLC’s Federal Advocacy Team at advocacy@nlc.org or submit updates through NLC’s Federal Grants Exchange Form. 

Together, we can engage with our federal lawmakers, educate them on the real experiences of residents in California, and elevate our voices to ensure our communities receive the resources they need.