Fresno City Council Approves $210,600 Federal Lobbying Contract
On April 24, 2025, the Fresno City Council approved a three-year contract with Covino Smith & Simon, Inc., a Washington DC lobbying firm, for $210,600 of taxpayer money ($70,200 annually). The contract includes an optional one-year extension.
The firm has worked with Fresno since the 1990s to lobby federal agencies and Congress on the city’s behalf. The staff report notes the relationship was “especially” useful during the COVID-19 pandemic, though no specific outcome or dollar figure recovered is named in the material.
The contract was approved without disclosed opposition. The material does not identify what specific federal funding the city is seeking, what the firm has secured in recent years, or how the $70,200 annual cost compares to the value of federal dollars brought to Fresno.
The Breakdown
- The contract runs three years at $70,200 per year, with an optional fourth year at the same rate.
- Covino Smith & Simon has lobbied for Fresno since the 1990s and will continue representing the city before Congress and federal agencies.
- The rate is unchanged from the expiring contract.
- The material does not state what federal programs or grants the firm is currently pursuing on Fresno’s behalf.
What This Means for You
Your city council just committed over $200,000 of public money to influence decisions made in Washington. Whether that investment pays off depends on what the lobbyist actually delivers, and voters have a right to know what outcomes justify the cost. The council that approved this spending is accountable to you for that return on investment.
What to Watch
The material offers no performance metric, no list of grants secured, and no comparison of lobbying cost to federal dollars received. What has Fresno actually gained from this relationship over the past three decades? A responsible contract would include specific deliverables — a minimum dollar figure in federal funding secured, a report on legislation influenced, or a clear benchmark that justifies $70,200 a year. Without that, there’s no way to judge whether the city is paying for results or just paying for access.
Who benefits? Covino Smith & Simon receives guaranteed income whether or not Fresno sees a single additional federal dollar. Who loses? Taxpayers, if the firm underperforms and the city has no recourse. What would prove value: an annual accounting of federal grants pursued, federal dollars awarded, and how much of that funding the city would have secured without a lobbyist at all.
