Commissioner Murman quoted in this Tampa Tribune article on county lobbyist reform:
POLITICS
Murman proposes rules on lobbying Hillsborough commission
By Mike Salinero | Tribune Staff
Published: September 23, 2015
TAMPA — Hillsborough County Commission Chair Sandy Murman said Wednesday she will introduce an ordinance that will more fully inform residents about who is trying to influence their public officials.
The ordinance would establish an Office of Professional Lobbyist Registration within the county attorney’s office. Lobbyists who visit county commissioners or county employees would have to register for a fee, and disclose who or what interests they represent. The public would be able to search and track lobbyists and their interactions with county officials online. Also, Murman said the definition of lobbyist would be tightened.
“The ultimate goal is transparency, so people can trust their government and see if we’re being unduly influenced by special interests,” Murman said.
Murman’s announcement comes in the wake of questions that have been raised about whether Tampa public relations consultant Beth Leytham pulled strings to help engineering firm Parsons Brinckerhoff win a $1.35 million county contract. Parsons Brinckerhoff later hired Leytham to handle communications for the county’s transportation initiative, Go Hillsborough. Leytham and Parsons Brinckerhoff have denied any collusion.
The suggestion that Leytham influenced the process, first made in a WTSP News 10 television report, spurred County Administrator Mike Merrill on Monday to ask the sheriff’s office to investigate the hiring of Parsons Brinckerhoff.
Murman said the uproar over the Leytham revelations is not the reason she wants to tighten up lobbying regulations, though it did affect the timing of her announcement.
“I’ve been working on this for some time,” Murman said. “If it makes people feel like they can trust us more because we’ve improved the process, that will be a good result.”
Murman, a former state representative, said she wants to bring the county’s rules regarding lobbyists closer to the state’s. All lobbyists working in Tallahassee must register and list their clients. That information is available online.
Currently, lobbyists who visit county commissioners are supposed to sign a book in the lobby outside the commissioners’ offices. Murman said many do not.
Under her proposed ordinance, any contact between a lobbyist and an elected official, whether verbal, written or electronic, would have to be reported within 72 hours. Lobbyists who don’t follow the rules would be fined.
