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Rocky Mount lobbyist outlines federal funding strategy for housing, water and workforce projects
Summary
A federal lobbyist told Rocky Mount city leaders that community project funding, federal grants and partnerships with nonprofits, churches and colleges are the primary channels the city should pursue for affordable housing, water infrastructure and workforce development.
Ron Mann, a federal lobbyist working with the City of Rocky Mount, told the City Council on Jan. 1 that the city should pursue a mix of community project funding (earmarks) and federal grants to advance affordable housing, water projects and workforce development.
Mann said the city should prepare a short federal agenda — a one- or two-page priorities list — to present to members of Congress and agency staff and described two broad funding tracks: appropriations (members’ earmarks/community project funding) and federal competitive grants. “City of Rocky Mount is you know, they want $5,000,000 for their affordable housing program,” Mann said, describing the type of request he helps package for congressional delegations and federal agencies.
Mann emphasized that appropriation-route projects tend to be one-time or gap-closing funds — “a one time several $1,000,000, couple $100,000 that you can get done to complete a project, or maybe it’s bridge funding,” he said — while federal grants require proposal development and agency engagement. He listed common request types that have succeeded for other clients: water infrastructure projects, transportation, environmental remediation tied to PFAS, homeland-security items such as emergency operations centers and radio upgrades, and justice-related items like body-worn cameras.
Why this matters: Rocky Mount council members asked how the city can position itself to win federal support amid shifting priorities in Washington. Mann warned that some federal priorities (notably climate and electric-vehicle programs) may face cuts or delays from the current administration, and he advised the city to align requests with appropriations lines that will be made available.
Mann told council members that local partnerships increase competitiveness for grants, citing faith-based organizations, community colleges and chambers of commerce as potential allies. “I always tell people, you’re their constituents, so you have relationships with these members,” Mann said, adding that local endorsements and follow-up with members’ offices are critical to advancing requests.
Council members pressed Mann on housing specifics. When asked to distinguish “affordable housing” from “workforce housing,” Mann said the terms are used differently by offices in Washington but overlap in practice; he described workforce housing as housing affordable to working households whose housing costs do not exceed a sustainable share of income. He also discussed potential partnerships for homeownership programs, including banks, local governments and faith-based groups, and noted precedent for federal dollars flowing to nonprofits after disasters.
Mann recommended targeted federal engagement rather than broad delegation visits: craft an attractive one- or two-page agenda; seek meetings with the congressional delegation and relevant agency staff; and use advance materials and follow-up to keep projects prioritized. He offered to help arrange Washington meetings and agency contacts through his relationships and staff work.
Ending: Mann said Rocky Mount should continue developing a short federal priorities list, build partnerships with local institutions and prepare targeted grant and appropriation requests. Council members indicated interest in following up on Choice Neighborhoods-style planning and in coordinating visits to Washington with city staff.
