During the 2022 Tualatin City Council Advance, there was a discussion of legislative changes, advocacy for legislation, and knowledge of funding opportunities at both the state and federal levels. During the discussion, it was clear that our city runs on a very lean budget, and in order to have a consistent and trained voice sharing information to the city and for the city, we may need to consider working with a lobbyist like so many other communities like ours do.
In January 2024, city staff, with council representation, interviewed agencies and selected Thorn Run Partners (TRP). They were chosen based on their record of success for both funding and legislative outcomes, their solid reputation in Salem and Washington D.C., and the positive impact they have supported in other cities and agencies in the region. Also, TRP was named among the top 10 lobbying firms in July 2024 by POLITICO Influence.
On July 29, Council met with their team to share our vision, and we are working towards common goals that will increase livability in Tualatin. The themes discussed were transportation, housing, social services, resiliency and emergency preparedness, environment, downtown revitalization, local control, and unfunded mandates and capital projects. While we all agreed that these eight topics are important, the Council found the main focuses for TRP’s support could be transportation and housing. The Council will formalize these priorities during a council meeting in the upcoming weeks.
Recently, city staff, the Council and many of our regional partners spent a lot of time on the topic of tolling. While the delay is considered a win, we know there will be more discussion around the revenue-sharing formula in the upcoming long session that runs from January to June 2025. With the addition of the TRP team being in Salem daily and working on these issues, we are excited that the specific concerns Tualatin has around tolling will be at the table and in the discussions necessary to help ensure we are being heard.
Thorn Run will also help our city have a voice around funding and capital projects. This will include how we prioritize our requests for funds at the state and federal level. TRP will be regularly communicating with staff and also sharing information with Council. This will include local and federal proposed legislation that could affect Tualatin as well as funding opportunities.
We look forward to learning from TRP and sharing their impact with our community as we start to see the results. Like all projects, it takes time to build the foundation in order to see the fruits of your labor, and this will be no different. Yet, looking forward, we are excited about the added capacity and engagement that Thorn Run Partners will provide.
