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Federal officials place Benton County BUILD request near top of delegation priorities, county advocates say
Summary
Benton County’s federal lobbyists told the Board that Congressman Tom Emmer placed the county’s BUILD grant as his top district priority and that a $7 million appropriation request for the Mayhew project advanced in the House—though awards remain competitive and not guaranteed.
Megan Knight of Larkin Hoffman told the Benton County Board that federal advocacy for the county’s BUILD grant made notable headway this spring.
“Congressman Tom Emmer placed Benton County’s BUILD grant as his number one priority for the district,” Knight said, describing meetings with Emmer’s staff and outreach to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Knight said she and county commissioners also secured support from Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, and that the county’s Mayhew project was included in a $7 million request submitted to the U.S. House.
Knight urged caution about expectations: BUILD is a competitive U.S. Department of Transportation program and an award is not guaranteed. She said the Department typically announces decisions in June or July and explained that the House appropriations process will mark up member requests before a final list is settled.
Board members framed this as an important advocacy milestone. One commissioner described the delegation attention as “incredibly important,” noting that the county’s presence in the delegation’s top priorities improves the project’s prospects during appropriations and committee markups.
Knight also listed other recent federal funding successes and applications discussed on the trip to Washington, D.C., and said the county will continue monitoring the markup and Senate processes closely.
What happens next: Knight and county staff will follow legislative progress through the House and Senate appropriations markups; BUILD award announcements are expected in summer.
