Federal Advocacy Services

SACOG is seeking one or more highly qualified consultant firms to serve as SACOG’s federal advocate to plan, develop, coordinate, and implement advocacy services and provide comprehensive lobbying services. SACOG is looking for a firm with bipartisan experience working on transportation issues. Though not required, firms with local governments, other Metropolitan Planning Organizations, or transportation clients are desirable. Additionally, firms with experience in natural resources, land use (including housing), and agricultural areas are also desirable.

SACOG serves as a Joint Powers Authority (JPA) and Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the city and county governments in El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba counties. As the only public agency with members from all 28 jurisdictions in the greater Sacramento region, SACOG plays a unique role as the place where local governments can come together to take on critical issues facing the region and to tackle problems that are too big for any one jurisdiction to solve on its own. SACOG is tasked by state and federal law with long-range planning for the region but also plays an important role in working with local partners to advance more immediate solutions to some of the region’s shared challenges of transportation, housing, air quality, climate change and the protection of the region’s agricultural and natural resources. Starting with the development of the 2025 Blueprint, SACOG has committed to three strategic goals of equity, economy, and environment.

SACOG is considered one of the “big four” Metropolitan Planning Organization’s (MPO) in California, along with those representing the San Francisco Bay Area, the Los Angeles region, and the San Diego region. It is highly regarded as one of the best-performing and most innovative MPOs in the nation. For more information, please visit our website: https://www.sacog.org .

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Since 1999, SACOG has typically contracted with outside firms to ensure that, as a regional agency, SACOG maintains a high-level of effective advocacy resources before Congress and federal agencies, as well as participate in advocacy efforts with associations and interest groups. SACOG is led by an Executive Director under the policy direction of a 31-member Board of Directors comprised of city and county elected officials. SACOG is committed to maintaining and increasing the effectiveness of its advocacy program, including attracting funding for SACOG and its members and partner agencies and influencing federal policy.

SACOG has a professional staff of approximately 60, including a Director of Government and Public Affairs who oversees SACOG's state and federal advocacy work, and a project manager dedicated to federal advocacy efforts and coordination. Additionally, staff have strong working relationships with the U.S. Department of Transportation, and board members work closely with the region's Members of Congress and California's Senators.

With Congress and the Administration focused on a surface transportation authorization bill expiring at the end of the 2026 federal fiscal year, 2026 is a key year for the Sacramento region to continue engagement in D.C. SACOG, with facilitation from our lobbyists, has been deeply involved in reauthorization conversations with our congressional delegation, national advocacy groups and other key partners. SACOG anticipates that this conversation will extend into future years.

In addition to reauthorization, a critical effort that SACOG wants to continue to pursue at the federal level is “Green Means Go,” a locally driven program to increase housing and spur economic development through efficient infrastructure planning and investments. SACOG continues to focus on advocacy for funding Green Means Go (GMG) to accelerate infill development in the region and build on at the federal level successes, such as the successful awarding of the Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods (RCN) grant, to further our GMG work. Grant advocacy has also extended beyond SACOG’s GMG program and we have been able to support grant applications from our partners, during the pre-application phase through support for any post-award needs. This level of assistance to our staff and the staff of our jurisdictions is desirable.