Harrisburg hires Lumen Strategies for legislative advocacy at $66,000 a year

The Town of Harrisburg approved a two-year contract with Lumen Strategies to provide state and federal legislative tracking, lobbying and resident education for $66,000 per year.

Town Manager Rob Donham said the firm would help Harrisburg track rapidly moving legislation that affects municipal authority, pursue appropriations and advise the town on federal grant opportunities. Sarah Principy, vice president of advocacy for Lumen, described the firm’s team and services, which include weekly legislative updates during session, a custom legislative tracker, advocacy strategy development, and representation at committee hearings.

Several council members asked how Lumen’s services would differ from those provided by the North Carolina League of Municipalities and whether conflicts could arise if Lumen represented other municipalities seeking the same funds. Principy said the firm prioritizes transparency and would inform Harrisburg if any client-level conflicts emerged and that staff would recommend alternatives or recuse resources as appropriate. The town manager said the contract could be terminated under the written exit terms if the services did not meet council expectations.

Supporters argued the cost is a modest share of the town’s operations and capital budget and could pay dividends by positioning Harrisburg for appropriations and grants; skeptics asked for clearer performance metrics and to confirm there was not needless duplication of services with the league or regional partners. The council voted to approve the contract; no opposing votes were recorded in the meeting transcript.

Staff said the engagement will include quarterly briefings to council, weekly updates when the legislature is in session, and ongoing coordination with town departments to build an advocacy agenda tied to projects such as a potential Amtrak station, utility relocation costs and public safety infrastructure.