New York State leaders negotiate the annual budget every February, making it a great time to tell your representatives about the causes you care about and why funding them matters.
This year, Genesee Land Trust staff will head to Albany for 3 days to advocate for more farmland protection grants, increasing the budget for the Environmental Protection Fund, implementing the Environmental Bond Act, and fully funding the High Falls State Park coming to Rochester.
If these are topics you also care about, please consider calling and/or writing your representatives.
Find your NY State representatives:
Assembly Member Search | New York State Assembly: Search by address and click on results to get contact information.
Find My Senator | NYSenate.gov: Search by address and click on results to get contact information.
Some advice on writing to your elected official (from Grammarly):
Keep it under one page or five hundred words if you’re writing an email.
Address only one topic in your letter.
Include your home address.
If using email, send it to only one representative at a time.
State your subject clearly in the subject line or the first sentence of the letter.
Include facts.
Avoid personal attacks.
What tone should you use?
Letters to elected officials should maintain a respectful and more formal writing tone. Recipients may save letters for official reference or, on some occasions, may even read them in front of Congress.
It’s important to remember that your elected representatives, whether local or federal, are real human beings. Expressing your respect and appreciation for their time by using a courteous tone will help your message receive the attention it deserves.
If your elected official has acted in a way that you appreciated, either before or after you’ve written them a letter, consider sending them a letter of appreciation.
How should the letter be structured?
Your letter should be composed of about four paragraphs and no longer than one page or five hundred words. Shorter letters are more likely to be ready promptly.
What information should the letter contain?
If you’re writing a printed or handwritten letter, include the date you’re writing the letter in the upper right-hand corner. If you’re writing an email, simply start with a salutation. Your first paragraph, the summary paragraph, should outline who you are, why you are writing, and what you’d like them to do. You can include your credentials—your job title or any honors you’ve been awarded—if they are relevant to the issue you’re writing about.
In your second paragraph, give the representative some context. Why is the issue you’re writing about important? This way, they know exactly what you’d like them to do about the issue. You might ask them to vote for a particular bill, take action on a pothole in your community, or include funding for your issue in a budget.
Then, provide three of your best supporting points. Those could be data, relevant events, or other key evidence points. You may break up your evidence into a bulleted list after your second paragraph or include them in the paragraph.
In the last paragraph of your letter, help them connect with you. Including a personal story can make your letter more convincing. If you have any personal connection, or you know someone who does, tell a story about it. You might add a transition sentence at the beginning of your fourth paragraph, too.
At the end of your letter, include a polite closing. You may write “sincerely,” “thank you,” or something along those lines. You can sign your name, but be sure to print it beneath your signature as well. You may add your title, if you have one, to your name.
After your name, include your address, phone number, and email address. This way, if multiple governing bodies are involved, your elected representative will know you are their constituent. They’ll also be able to contact you if they need more information. Don’t forget to proofread your letter, checking for spelling, punctuation, and grammar mistakes.
(Photo of Lake Ontario by Lap Chung)