City of Santa Rosa Joins a Third Lawsuit Challenging Unconstitutional Federal Grant Requirements

To protect millions of dollars in critical federal funding the City of Santa Rosa receives for disaster mitigation, response, and recovery, the City joined a lawsuit challenging unlawful new federal grant requirements the federal administration is imposing on local governments. This is the third such lawsuit the City has joined since early July 2025.

On September 30, 2025, Santa Rosa joined more than two dozen other local governments nationwide - including City of Petaluma, County of Sonoma, and Sonoma Water -- in a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the heads of those agencies. The lawsuit, County of Santa Clara v. Noem, challenges unlawful attempts by the Trump administration to require local governments receiving DHS and FEMA grants to use local resources to implement federal policies.

"The federal administration continues to exercise powers it does not have," said Santa Rosa City Attorney Teresa Stricker. "Now through threats of eliminating critical federal disaster and emergency funding, the federal administration is trying to force local governments to implement the President's policy agenda in violation of the U.S. Constitution and the Administrative Procedures Act."

At the core of the decision to join this lawsuit is the City's ability to apply for future federal funding for disaster response and recovery, and acquire approximately $20.3 million through four FEMA grants currently in process. Funding currently at risk includes:

• $3.6 million for vegetation management activities to prevent future wildfire disasters
• $200,000 for specialized equipment for firefighters
• $2.36 million for 12 firefighter positions
• $14.2 million for construction of a floodwall at the Laguna wastewater treatment plant

"Santa Rosa is joining this lawsuit to make sure we have the opportunity to obtain federal funding after a disaster, just like we've done after recent fires and floods," said Mayor Mark Stapp. "We also want to protect anticipated federal funding for critical disaster mitigation projects that are making our city infrastructure more resilient."