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State Government Relations
Are You Overlooking Potential Partners?
These days, who can afford to overlook potential partners for government
relations efforts? City and county officials--who are often targets
of lobbying efforts frequently have agendas which overlap with private
sector interests. When they do, they present a perfect opportunity
for a partnership.
The International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) has capitalized
on this by developing an active outreach effort with local officials
called "Meet the Cities." The purpose of the effort is
to forge strategic alliances by holding meetings with elected officials
of cities, counties and townships. According to Rich Warren, Director
of State Relations for ICSC, "Every shopping center is a public
private partnership. We have discovered that when it comes to local
officials, there is more to talk constructively about that there
is to fight about--we are both striving for an increased tax base
and more jobs." For the members of ICSC, shopping center deals
are made at the local level, so local partnerships are essential.
But local officials can also make effective partners when addressing
a state or even federal policy issue. Local officials have political
ties that are difficult to match in the private sector--they often
have the ears of elected officials because many state legislators
are former city and county government officials. And, local officials
have established a working relationship with legislators and are
often viewed as more credible.
The Greenfields Group, a coalition of companies promoting voluntary
environmental cleanup programs, began including local officials
in outreach efforts in 1993. Since then, they have become an important
part of the coalition in states such as New York and Maryland because
the interests are well-aligned. Both industry and local communities
want to see effective voluntary cleanup programs that provide the
proper incentives to companies. For the local officials, working
with the private sector on voluntary cleanup programs means increased
hazardous waste cleanups and a healthier economy. For the private
sector, working with local officials has resulted in a higher level
of interest among state policy makers who are skeptical about environmental
legislation providing incentives to industry.
There are a couple of considerations to keep in mind when working
with local officials. ITS America--a national organization providing
a forum for stakeholders in the intelligent transportation debate--has
had considerable experience in working with local officials. According
to Dawn Levy, formerly of ITS America and now with the National
Conference of State Legislatures, "You have to remember that
local officials are government employees involved in the day to
day city or county management. This makes them very knowledgeable
and attuned to the details of public policy issues.
However, because lobbying is usually not their primary function,
the time constraints and priorities are different from corporate
state government relations people."
Additionally, you have to be sensitive to the goals of city and
county officials and be able to articulate why your proposed policy
changes meet them. According to Dawn Levy, "City and county
officials are usually interested in more money and more flexibility
with state or federal funds." Make the case that your bill
will create a healthier economy for the city, save the city thousands,
or generate taxes.
If you are seeking a place to begin forging alliances with local
officials, try becoming involved with the national groups of local
officials. There are large multi-disciplinary groups such as the
U.S. Conference of Mayors, the National League of Cities and the
National Association of Counties, but there are also smaller specialty
groups, such as the National Association of Black County Officials.
Of course, all of these groups can offer a prelude to the most effective
partnership building--one-on-one relationships.
- Mark D. Anderson, Senior Vice President, 1997
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