Federal & State Advocacy
Some of the challenges facing our region require federal and state support to help unlock funding opportunities, forge new partnerships and advance policy priorities. Federal and state policymakers are regional allies, champions and resources and therefore play a crucial role in our region’s success.
Advocacy and Relationship Building
At both the federal and state levels, Centralina presents a unified voice to advocate for key issues and opportunities within our region. Having a unified voice means all our member governments, big and small, are represented equally. We serve as a bridge, connecting our local government members to the latest policy or activity updates through reports at Executive Board meetings and Capital Corner posts on our blog, which are featured in our monthly newsletter.
Our Work at the State Level
Centralina works to develop relationships with state elected officials and agency leaders to secure greater support of our regional priorities and funding needs. We partner with EQV Strategic to support our members and advance Centralina’s Raleigh Relations agenda.
Centralina also actively collaborates to advance the interests of local governments alongside several statewide organizations, including the North Carolina League of Municipalities and the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners. In particular, we work through the North Carolina Association of Regional Councils of Governments to present a statewide advocacy agenda to champion regional interests.
The Raleigh Relations Advocacy Agenda is a formal plan that guides Centralina’s state level engagement activities. Adopted by the Centralina Executive Board, the annual agenda outlines strategies for addressing specific regional priorities. These priorities include issue areas where we are seeking resources to advance our workplan initiatives, tracking legislation impacting local communities and supporting the advocacy activities of our partner organizations.
Our Work at the Federal Level
At the federal level, we work to champion Centralina’s interest in major pieces of federal legislation and funding programs that support our activities. Through proactive relationship building with our Congressional Delegation and executive agencies, we work to inform partners on the impact of federal programs and policies on the region, communities and individuals. Centralina collaborates with Strategics Consulting to plan and implement a Federal Action Plan to advance our priorities. We also provide member governments with on-demand troubleshooting on issues or challenges related to federal agencies, regulations or funding sources.
Our federal advocacy efforts are strengthened by our Federal Action Plan, a formalized and cohesive annual plan approved by the Executive Board to address specific regional needs and desired policy outcomes. In particular, our Aging and Workforce Development departments rely on federal funding and federal policy to support their work with individuals, companies and communities throughout our region. The Federal Action Plan aligns with our regional priorities and champions the ability of councils of government to become eligible entities for competitively awarded federal grants.
State and Federal Grant Support
As a state and federal liaison, Centralina supplies our members with ongoing communication and support related to federal grant opportunities, including monthly compilation alerts on new and currently available grants and an annual grant forecast. We also provide training opportunities and assistance to communities pursuing grant funding. Log into our Member Portal to gain access to this information.
Our Congressional Representatives
Centralina relies on the support of federal policymakers to help advance the priorities of our region and bring critical funding to projects and initiatives. Get to know your congressional representatives with a contact list that includes their office information, regional representative or district director, committees they sit on, terms of office and headshots.
Congressional Calendar
Access the calendar for the 118th Congress (2023-2024) and list of important dates including House and Senate scheduled sessions, target adjournments, Democratic and Republican retreats, federal holidays and the State of the Union address.