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Mayors from the Tri-Valley are expected to return Tuesday from a five-day trip to Washington D.C. where they met with California legislators and several agency leaders to bid for more federal funding for an area-wide communications system and improvements to I-680, I-580 and Highway 84.

San Ramon Mayor Bill Clarkson joined mayors from Dublin, Pleasanton, Danville and Livermore in making the annual trip with his agenda packed with meetings with legislators representing the Tri-Valley, as well as meetings with various federal agency representatives.

This was Clarkson's first trip with the mayoral contingent and the first for the mayors, themselves, in the nation's capital with former Dublin Councilman Eric Swalwell, who is now the newly-elected congressman from the 15th Congressional District that represents the five cities.

While in Washington, the mayors attended the winter meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors and also yesterday's inauguration of President Barack Obama to his second term in office.

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