During a special week in September we called Rebuild America’s Communities Week, local elected leaders in the First & Main coalition from small and mid-sized towns and cities across the country carried a clear and unified message to their representatives who were at home for recess: “We need reliable federal partners to support our homegrown efforts to rebuild our downtowns, restore our economies, and improve opportunity for everyone.”
The gathering of mayors in Mississippi with representatives from Senator Roger Wicker’s staff.
Down in Mississippi, six mayors from the east-central part of the state gathered to meet with Senator Roger Wicker. In addition to Quitman Mayor Eddie Fulton, who organized the meeting, Meridian Mayor Percy Bland, Louisville Mayor Will HIll, Heidelberg Mayor Wilbert Carr, Philadelphia Mayor James Young, and Morton Mayor Gerald Keeton all attended. The Senator unfortunately had to miss the meeting to stay behind in Washington for a vote, but Andrew Hinkebein, the Senator’s Southern District Representative, heard their powerful call to support the First & Main blueprint and brought all of the local officials up to speed on the upcoming budget being developed for 2019. Senator Wicker has been and continues to be one of the most outspoken advocates for restoring passenger rail service to the Gulf Coast, which remains one of the highest priorities for many of the local elected officials who represent the communities further south on the coast.
It’s hard to overstate the value of these members of Congress hearing first-hand stories from the elected officials who understand the value of federal programs and funding better than most.
Local mayors, councilpersons, and other local elected officials are pragmatic people who care first and foremost about making a tangible difference in their communities. They know that promoting the vitality of the kinds of places represented by First & Main is key to America’s prosperity, and are the best possible messengers to make it clear in Washington that they’re counting on a reliable federal partner for resources to support their homegrown, local efforts.
If you want to join your fellow elected officials in advocating for the kinds of federal partnership necessary to building great hometowns, join the First & Main coalition today.