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APWA’s Legislative Action Center is a gateway to communicating with your elected officials. You can contact your Members of Congress with messages APWA has written about current issues, or write your own letter on an issue of importance to you and your community. You also can track which bills APWA has identified as important public works legislation and see how your elected officials voted.
Join the Government Affairs  community!
Get up-to-the-minute reports about advocacy efforts and be the first to respond to urgent action alerts. APWA staff will alert the Government Affairs InfoNOW team when APWA members need to weigh in on upcoming legislation and rulemaking, from maintaining local control over rights-of-way to securing transportation funding. Government Affairs team members also get updates on federal executive issues, notices of calls for proposals, and have the opportunity to discuss government affairs topics with other members of the community and APWA advocacy staff through the listserv.
Advocacy Starts in Your Hometown!
Get Involved: Local groups and associations are a great place to offer a public works perspective. Get involved in your local APWA chapter and make sure to stay active! Work with your Chapter to appoint members to a Government Affairs Committee for your local chapter, or to set up meetings with other local associations to discuss joint efforts and partnerships to advance common goals. Reach out to other groups by inviting the president or executive director of your state’s municipal league or association of counties to speak at your chapter’s annual meeting. Also, ask that a chapter representative be appointed to the municipal league, association of counties, or any other local organization related to public works issues. Coalitions show broad support for an issue and can be very powerful in accomplishing public policy goals.
Public Education & Outreach: Send a letter to the editor of your local paper discussing the importance of public works and investment in infrastructure. Many people are unaware of the role public works plays in their everyday lives, so this is a great opportunity to educate your neighbors—and public officials—about public works and infrastructure before there’s a problem or emergency. Remember, the public supports infrastructure investment when it knows it is necessary, so include specific examples where infrastructure is decaying or public works needs are not being met.
Reach Out: Invite your State and Congressional leaders to tour your public works facility. This is a great opportunity for them to see firsthand how these facilities and operations work, and for you to explain how they are financed, work day-to-day, and how they meet the challenges of the local area. If officials can’t come to you, look for a "town hall" meeting in your district. Elected officials will often use these events to talk about their achievements and hear from their constituents. These meetings are an ideal forum for you to ask them to state their position on infrastructure investment.
Honor, Award, and Recognize: Show your appreciation for an elected official or government appointee who has supported public works by bestowing awards, inviting them to ceremonies and ribbon cuttings where they will receive public recognition, or asking them to speak at events.
See the complete APWA Advocacy Handbook
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