During this year’s annual City Summit, local leaders from across the country spoke during the Financing the Future: Strategies for Local Investment session, sharing their unique challenges and solutions to paying for projects their residents urgently needed — without leaning heavily on their municipality’s general funds or traditional federal grants.
Moderator Council President Blaine Griffin from the City of Cleveland, Ohio (pop. 365,379) led the session, giving each panelist the opportunity to share how local investment involves myriad of choices, from figuring out which projects get funded first to deciding between one-time dollars versus long-term investment.
Building Federal Relationships to Support Residents
Speaking on behalf of the City of Dublin, Calif. (pop. 70,544) Council Member Jean Josey described her community as a fast-growing suburb in the Bay Area. During the pandemic, Dublin and its neighboring cities of Pleasanton and Livermore saw their residents in crisis increasingly rely on emergency rooms when they couldn’t access behavioral health care — even when they had insurance.
National League of Cities
by Samantha Pedrosa
January 7, 2026