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WATERLOO — Black Hawk will continue lobbying the legislators with other urbanized eastern Iowa counties.

Members of the Black Hawk County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to continue in the Urban County Coalition with Dubuque, Linn, Johnson and Scott counties.

Each county pays $25,000 a year to retain L & L Murphy Associates and Grant Consulting LLC to help advocate in the general assembly and state executive branch for issues the counties jointly agree are important to them.

Black Hawk County Supervisor Linda Laylin said the arrangement, which is entering its eighth year, has been beneficial and provided the county with a way to have its voice heard when supervisors are not able to lobby in Des Moines directly.

Board chairman Tom Little said the reports they supervisors receive about bills introduced in the legislature are helpful as well.

Gary Grant, of Grant Consulting, said the Iowa State Association of Counties advocates for all 99 counties. But he said there are issues that arise where the interests of rural counties and their urbanized counterparts diverge.