Lobbying

Disclosure of Membership

The City of Evanston is actively engaged in various advocacy organizations designed to lobby state and federal legislators to the benefit of residents of municipalities. Below residents will find a list of all organizations or companies that the City of Evanston provides funds to support the city’s State and Federal agenda. 

State and Regional

Metropolitan Mayors Caucus

The Caucus provides a forum through which the chief elected officials of the region cooperatively develop consensus on common public policy issues and multi-jurisdictional challenges. With a foundation of collaboration and consensus-based decision-making, it serves a number of functions for its partner organizations and local governments:

  • The Mayors Caucus is a voice for regional approaches to issues and challenges, such as: economic development, school funding and tax reform, workforce readiness, energy reliability and security, air quality, funding for transportation and other infrastructure, housing, and emergency preparedness.
  • The Caucus cooperates with leaders and agencies from the private, non-profit, and public sectors that seek to work toward the common goal of improving the well being of all who live in the region. 
  • The Caucus provides a forum for the discussion and resolution of issues that impact the overall quality of life in the region. 
  • The Mayors Caucus develops consensus positions on a broad range of key issues facing the Chicago region and is a strong advocate for their adoption at the federal, state, and local levels of government. 

Membership Costs to the City of Evanston: $2,598.37

Illinois Municipal League

The Illinois Municipal League was founded in 1914 and has worked continuously for the benefit of municipalities. The governing board is comprised of Mayors and Village Presidents.

The Illinois Municipal League provides:

  • A formal voice for Illinois municipalities in matters involving common interests, particularly legislative issues.
  • competence and integrity in administration of municipal government.
  • municipal officials knowledge and experience to best administer their duties.
  • direct informational mailings such as the Illinois Municipal Review monthly magazine; Legislative Bulletin published during the General Assembly session; Legal Bulletin published bi-monthly and sent to all municipal attorneys.
  • publications such as the Illinois Municipal Handbook, Illinois Municipal Directory, Zoning Handbook, etc.
  • members via conferences, road shows, and other educational meetings, and 
  • other member services, including the IML Risk Management Association, Drug and Alcohol Testing, and staff resources.

Membership Costs to the City of Evanston: $3,318.00 per year


Northwest Municipal Conference

Over the past 52 years, the Northwest Municipal Conference (NWMC) has been working to strengthen communities and enhance intergovernmental relationships in the north and northwest suburbs of Chicago. As one of the premier regional councils of government, the Northwest Municipal Conference represents over 1.3 million citizens residing in our 42 municipalities and 1 township. Membership area covers over 300 square miles in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake and McHenry counties. 

Membership Costs to the City of Evanston: $24,062.00 per year

Federal

US Conference of Mayors

The U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are 1,210 such cities in the country today. Each city is represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the mayor. 

The primary roles of The U.S. Conference of Mayors are to:

  • Promote the development of effective national urban/suburban policy; 
  • Strengthen federal-city relationships; 
  • Ensure that federal policy meets urban needs; 
  • Provide mayors with leadership and management tools; and 
  • Create a forum in which mayors can share ideas and information. 

Membership Costs to the City of Evanston: $5,269.00 per year

National League of Cities

The National League of Cities (NLC) is dedicated to helping city leaders build better communities. Working in partnership with the 49 state municipal leagues, NLC serves as a resource to and an advocate for the more than 19,000 cities, villages and towns it represents. More than 1,600 municipalities of all sizes pay dues directly to NLC and actively participate as leaders and voting members in the organization.

The National League of Cities provides numerous benefits to its network of state municipal leagues and direct member cities. The National League of Cities:

  • advocates for cities and towns in Washington, D.C. through full-time lobbying and grassroots campaigns;
  • provides programs and services that give local leaders the tools and knowledge to better serve their communities;
  • provides opportunities for involvement and networking to help city officials seek ideas, share solutions, and find common ground for the future;
  • keeps leaders informed of critical issues that affect municipalities and warrant action by local officials; 
  • strengthens leadership skills by offering numerous training and education programs; 
  • recognizes municipal achievements by gathering and promoting examples of best practices and recognizing cities and towns for model programs and initiatives; 
  • partners with state leagues to supplement resources and strengthen the voice of local government in the nation’s capital and all state capitols; and
  • promotes cities and towns through an aggressive media and communications program that draws attention to city issues and enhances the national image of local government. 

Membership Costs to the City of Evanston: $5,952.00 per year

Holland and Knight

Costs to the City of Evanston: $60,000 over 10 months

CONTRACT TERMINATED