Bishop Hires Lobbyist in Pursuit of Grant Funding, plus

Good Financial News

Last week’s Bishop City Council meeting started out with good news as Ethan Aukee, assistant finance director, reviewed the City’s independent audit.

Like Inyo County’s recent financial review, Transient Occupancy Taxes was credited with the uptick in the City’s treasurer, bringing in $1 million more than the preliminary budget estimates. Following two years of COVID-19 shut-downs in travel, tourists are once again on the move and, apparently, in the direction of the Eastern Sierra.

The Council also approved a one-year contract at $4,000 a month with Rojas Communications Group, a state and federal lobbying firm, to keep grant funding coming into the coffers. The goal, according to Deston Dishion, city manager, is to pursue earmark funding to be spent on specific purposes. “They know who to talk to and can deliver our requests to the proper person,” he explained.

Dishion explained that earmarks come out February 1. “Rojas knows how to get our grant requests to the right office or person,” he said.  Mayor Jim Ellis was more succinct: “It’s a game. If we don’t play it somebody else will.”

The only question prior to unanimous approval of the motion came from Councilmember Stephen Muchovej. Can the City track which projects Rojas will be pushing and their success. The answer was a simple “yes.”