The squeaky wheel gets the grease. That may not be fair, but it’s true, and it’s how the world works — like it or not.

When we want or need money from our federal government for a Vicksburg project, we need to squeak and squeak loudly.

No one knows that better than Mayor George Flaggs Jr.

Many municipalities Vicksburg’s size pay upwards of $150,000 or more per year to hire a lobbying firm to interact with elected representatives and federal officials on their behalf and grease the path to federal funding.

In Vicksburg, Flaggs has taken the reins and, through several recent trips to Washington, D.C., is paving the way for money for a number of projects here.

Because of Flaggs’ 25 years’ experience in the legislature and his contacts within the federal government, politicians and federal movers and shakers are listening.

The way federal money comes down to local projects has changed in recent years. Rarely, if ever, does the federal government fund 100 percent of a local project. Typically, local governments are expected to pony up 20 percent or more of a project’s cost. And the cost and specifics of a project must be clear and detailed before federal funds are attached.

The signing of a cooperative agreement between the city of Vicksburg and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which we are so fortunate to have right here in Vicksburg, is the first step toward accessing federal funds to stabilize a costly erosion problem in the area of Hennessy Bayou and build a new bridge on Kemp Bottom Road.

The city and Corps have agreed to split the $75,000 cost to study the problem and allow the Corps to help develop a plan of action. That money will become part of the local expenditure required to access money to support the project. While it’s unknown now how much the project will cost in the end, it could easily be $14 to $15 million, some predict, so access to federal funding is a must. Federal funding isn’t guaranteed, but taking this step and knowing the steps of the process puts us in much better shape when funding is allocated.

As a result of Flaggs’ travel to Washington, D.C., and working with Mississippi’s congressional delegation and the White House, city officials have a better idea as to how to proceed in getting money from the federal government.

Flaggs is lobbying for funding for a number of necessary infrastructure projects in the city.

That kind of travel and lobbying is a necessary evil, and we are fortunate to have someone who has the experience to do it effectively.