WASHINGTON — A delegation of San Joaquin County government, union and business leaders are packing their bags, preparing to head to the nation's capital for a week of advocacy.
"To be honest, it's something that we all enjoy," said San Joaquin County Supervisor Robert Rickman. "We meet with our elected representatives and fight for our residents here in San Joaquin County."
Rickman will join more than 70 other officials on the 5-day trip, taking off Saturday and ending May 11.
The group, organized by the San Joaquin Council of Governments' One Voice Program, is calling on federal officials to help fund eight local infrastructure projects.
The projects include connecting State Route 99 and State Route 120, improving Manteca's State Route 120/Airport Way diverging diamond interchange, building an Altamont Corridor Express station in Ripon, improving Tracy's Interstate 580 interchange, reconstructing the road and railways on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Stockton, purchasing five hybrid electric busses for the San Joaquin Regional Transit District, replacing a rail bridge at the Port of Stockton and improving San Joaquin County's Grant Line Road corridor.
In 2022, advocacy by members of the One Voice Program set aside $9 million in federal funding for county projects.
"The trip more than pays for itself," said Rickman. "I think it makes a lot bigger difference sitting across the table from somebody and showing them what funding can do to improve economic development and the quality of life for residents in San Joaquin County."
During their 2023 trip, members of the group will meet with federal lawmakers and agency officials to try to gain support for the projects.
One potential source of funding county leaders hope to tap is the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill. The bill was signed by President Joe Biden in 2021.
"The total of the ask that we're looking for is close to $140 million," said Steve Dial, the San Joaquin Council of Government's Chief Financial Officer. "It's a big ask, but the projects are very worthwhile."
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