A trip by all five city commissioners to lobby congressional staff members in Washington, D.C., was deemed a success.

Commissioners left Sunday for the capital and returned to Lawrence on Tuesday afternoon. City commissioners, who also were joined by County Commissioner Bob Johnson and Chamber President and CEO Lavern Squier, met with staff members from the offices of Sens. Pat Roberts and Sam Brownback, in addition to aides with U.S. Reps. Dennis Moore and Jim Ryun.

The actual elected officials were not in Washington, D.C., but instead were in Kansas while Congress is on fall break.

But commissioners said the timing of the trip was good because it allowed them to have significant time to talk with staff members about issues ranging from transportation funding to U.S. Census Bureau population estimates.

Commissioners have said they would like a representative from Lawrence to go to Washington, D.C., two times per year to lobby on behalf of the city.

The cost of the most recent trip wasn’t available Tuesday night. Corliss said the costs still were being tabulated, and that the chamber and the county would be billed for their shares.