Disclosure of Local Government Lobbyist Fees
According to <a href="http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2010-05-03/story/push-toughened-lobb…; target="”_blank”">an
article in the Jacksonville <i>Times-Union</i></a> this week, former
Jacksonville council member and current lobbyist Ginny Myrick said, in
response to lobbying reforms suggested by Jacksonville ethics officer,
and City Ethics' president, Carla Miller, that (not exact words) "it is
important for exact payments from clients to remain protected because
the information is proprietary. Under Miller’s proposals, lobbyists
would have to disclose a range of payments they receive from clients,
but not exact numbers."<br>
<br>
Norm Ostrau, director of Florida Atlantic University’s Public Ethics
Academy added, “I know of no municipality that has lobbyists report
their fees.”<br>
<br>
The idea that fees are proprietary information in the context of a
regulated group was surprising to me, so I did some research. Here is
what I found.<br>
<br>
<ol>
Chicago requires the periodic disclosure by lobbyists of their fees, to
the nearest $1,000 (see page 4 of <a href="http://www.cityofchicago.org/content/dam/city/depts/ethics/general/Lobb…; target="”_blank”">the
disclosure
form</a>).<br>
<br>
The District of Columbia requires "An enumeration and break down of
total lobbying compensation receipts and expenditures" (§3102.2(b)
of the <a href="http://os.dc.gov/os/frames.asp?doc=/os/lib/os/info/odai/title_3/31.pdf&…; target="”_blank”">lobbying
ordinance</a>).<br>
<br>
Honolulu requires <a href="http://www.co.honolulu.hi.us/ethics/lobbyistforms.pdf" target="”_blank”">annual
disclosure</a>, for each entity, of the "total amount received as a
lobbyist representing contributions, membership fees and other receipts related to lobbying activities."<br>
<br>
Indianapolis/Marion County requires annual disclosure of "the total
amount of payments received for each engagement during the previous
calendar year." (<a href="http://library4.municode.com/default-test/template.htm?view=browse&doc_…; target="”_blank”">§909-103(a)(4)</a>).<br>
<br>
King County, WA <a href="http://www.kingcounty.gov/operations/ExecutiveServices/%7E/media/operat…; target="”_blank”">requires
quarterly
disclosure</a> of "compensation earned from employer for
lobbying this period (salary, wage, retainer)."<br>
<br>
Los Angeles requires quarterly disclosure of "the amount of
compensation earned for the compensated services." (§48.08(B)(10)
of the <a href="http://ethics.lacity.org/pdf/laws/law_mlo.pdf" target="”_blank”">Municipal
Lobbying
Ordinance</a>)<br>
<br>
New York City requires periodic disclosure of compensation paid or owed
(see <a href="http://www.nyc.gov/html/misc/pdf/elobbyist_user_guide.pdf" target="”_blank”">e-lobbyist
users
guide</a> p. 75).<br>
<br>
San Diego requires quarterly disclosure of "the total compensation that
the lobbying firm became entitled to receive from that client during
the reporting period for lobbying activities related to lobbying
contacts." (<a href="http://docs.sandiego.gov/municode/MuniCodeChapter02/Ch02Art07Division40…; target="”_blank”">§27.4017(a)(2)(A)</a>)<br>
<br>
San Francisco requires monthly disclosure of "the amount of economic
consideration received or expected by the lobbyist or the lobbyist's
employer from each client during the reporting period." (<a href="http://www.sfethics.org/ethics/2009/12/lobbyist-ordinance-2010.html#211…; target="”_blank”">§2.110(c)(6)</a>
of the Lobbying Ordinance)<br>
<br>
Seattle requires periodic disclosure o<span></span>f "the total compensation paid
to the lobbyist for lobbying purposes and any compensation for lobbying
purposes provided to a lobbying entity for the lobbyist's services
during the reporting period by each of the lobbyist's employer(s)." (<a href="http://clerk.ci.seattle.wa.us/%7Escripts/nph-brs.exe?d=CODE&s1=2.06.030…; target="”_blank”">§2.06.030(B)(3)</a>).<br>
</ol>
Robert Wechsler<br>
Director of Research-Retired, City Ethics<br>
<br>
---