Cal Cities officers advocate for solutions to statewide issues on Capitol Hill

By Caroline Grinder, legislative advocate

Cal Cities leadership and more than 120 California city officials traveled to Washington last week to advocate for cities’ top priorities on Capitol Hill. The advocacy mobilization was part of the annual National League of Cities Congressional City Conference, where officials from across the country gather to engage federal lawmakers, connect, and learn from each other.

Cal Cities officers raised a range of issues with legislators, including fiscal sustainability, disaster preparedness, housing and homelessness, and public safety. Cal Cities met directly with key lawmakers, including Reps. Pete Aguilar, John Garamendi, Mike Levin, Salud Carbajal, Kevin Kiley, and Ro Khanna.

Cal Cities also coordinated a joint meeting with Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff and over 100 California city officials for a wide-ranging discussion on local priorities.

Leading the Cal Cities delegation were President Gabe Quinto (El Cerrito Mayor), First Vice President Teresa Acosta (Carlsbad Council Member), Second Vice President David Cohen (San Jose Council Member), Immediate Past President Lynne B. Kennedy (Rancho Cucamonga Mayor Pro Tem), and Executive Director and CEO Carolyn Coleman.

Coleman also joined the main stage during the conference to moderate a legal panel featuring Mary Richardson-Lowry, corporation counsel for the city of Chicago, and Amanda Karras, executive director of the International Municipal Lawyers Association. The trio helped attendees understand how federal policy changes and lawsuits are impacting federal funding.

The conference also featured several members of Congress, including Rep. Salud Carbajal, who spoke about his efforts to work across the aisle to deliver for his community.

Cal Cities leadership will next join NLC in Nashville, Tennessee, in November for its annual City Summit.