A League presenter at a Utah League of Cities and Towns session on Oct. 30 urged municipal officials to use concise, specific storytelling to make local issues memorable to state legislators.

The presenter warned that many events that are "someone else's most important day" are routine "Tuesdays" for officeholders and Capitol staff, and recommended tactics — "special moves" — city leaders can use to stand out when advocating at the state Capitol.

The advice was framed with a long analogy to 1995 pop culture and the video game Street Fighter: the presenter said the difference between an event that is life-changing for a resident and an ordinary day for an official is often a matter of perspective. "For you, the day M. Bison graced your village was the most important day of your life. But for me, it was Tuesday. Cold," the presenter said, using the film quote to illustrate the point.

The presenter identified three concrete approaches municipal officials can use when communicating with legislators: tell a compelling story about what is happening in the community; describe what makes a city or town unique (with maps, tours or on-the-ground examples); and be specific and succinct, using data where possible. "A 5, 10 page report is not gonna get as much attention as something succinct and quick and to the point," the presenter said.

The speaker gave examples of successful local outreach: Saratoga Springs prepared maps to show what makes the city unique, and West Jordan took legislators on bus tours that, in the speaker's account, changed some legislators' perspectives by illustrating neighborhood conditions in person. The presenter also said that cities sometimes can resolve problems before they become bills by explaining to legislators how the city already solved a problem.

The presenter cautioned that some issues remain likely priorities at the Capitol this year, calling out ongoing debates over property taxes and a transportation-utility-fee proposal. "Property tax is gonna be an issue that's gonna come up at the capital a lot this year," the presenter said, noting a recent meeting in Ogden attended by several legislators where property tax was a caucus priority.

The remarks repeatedly urged empathy for constituents' experiences: "What are your Tuesdays? What are your Tuesdays that are someone else's biggest day?" the presenter asked attendees, encouraging officials to alter small behaviors (for example, changing how they move through the State Capitol when a wedding party is taking photos) as a recognition of those moments.

The presenter closed by asking attendees to continue "fighting" at the Capitol alongside the League and turned the time over to Executive Director Cameron Dill.

There were no motions, votes, or formal actions recorded in the transcript for this session.