Lakewood pitches ‘medium‑sized city’ set‑aside and earmark strategy as federal funding uncertainty continues
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Summary
City staff and consultant reviewed Lakewood’s federal agenda, highlighting a multi‑city effort to create medium‑sized city set‑asides within federal discretionary grant programs and plans to pursue earmarks, amid an uncertain federal budget environment.
City staff and the Johnson Group briefed Lakewood City Council on Oct. 13 about the city’s federal legislative agenda, emphasizing a multi‑jurisdiction effort to secure a “medium‑sized city” set‑aside in Department of Transportation and HUD discretionary grant programs.
Jake Johnson of the Johnson Group said Lakewood and partner cities have pushed policy language that helped shift the RAISE/BUILD grants so that communities below 200,000 people receive a larger share of awards. “Prior to 2021, no medium sized city in the state of Washington had ever won a RAISE grant… since 2021, there’s been 8 communities in Washington between 10,000 and 100,000 that have received RAISE awards, including a planning grant for the city of Lakewood,” Johnson said. He added the program is up for reauthorization in 2026 and Lakewood is building a coalition of cities to press for broader set‑aside language across discretionary accounts.
Budget and process context: Johnson and city staff cautioned that federal appropriations are in flux and federal staffing reductions have slowed regional office responses. “The government at the federal level is currently shut down… we don’t really have a good crystal ball that predicts what the outcome of this is gonna look like,” the consultant said, noting some earmark processes and appropriations remain active and cities can still pursue earmarks for eligible projects.
Potential projects and strategy: Council members discussed pursuing federal support for capital projects that fit appropriations account rules — community centers, multi‑use facilities and certain infrastructure projects — and the city signaled interest in positioning the H Barn (HBARN) or a downtown multi‑generational facility as a potential federal capital request. City staff said the administration would prepare placeholder language and work with partners to clarify project eligibility and scope before submitting requests during the next earmark season.
Why it matters: staff characterized this work as incremental but consequential for Lakewood’s ability to compete for multi‑million‑dollar discretionary grants. Councilmembers stressed the need to refine project scopes and ensure eligibility before requesting federal funds.
Ending: City staff said they will continue to refine project scopes, seek coalition partners, and prepare for the FY26 appropriations and earmark cycles as federal funding outcomes remain uncertain.
