Commissioner Murman quoted in this Tampa Tribune editorial on county lobbying reform:
EDITORIALS
Editorial: Lobbying in Hillsborough County needs tighter regulations
Published: September 29, 2015
The casual rules governing the meetings between lobbyists and Hillsborough County commissioners don’t exactly promote the kind of transparency necessary for good government.
Lobbyists are supposed to sign a book in the lobby outside of the commissioners’ offices to record their visits. But according to Commissioner Sandy Murman, oversight is lax and the book isn’t always signed.
Murman wants to change the culture by requiring lobbyists to pay a fee to register with the county and by instituting fines or possible banishment for lobbyists who fail to report visits with commissioners and staff within a reasonable period of time.
The other commissioners should support her efforts to bring lobbying out the shadows.
Recent claims of behind-the-scenes maneuvering — whether founded or unfounded — regarding the Go Hillsborough transportation initiative have raised questions about the public’s right to know who is influencing decisions on important issues.
Murman plans to ask the county attorney’s office to draft an ordinance that would establish an Office of Professional Lobbyist Registration to administer the registry. Information identifying the lobbyists and their clients would be available for public inspection online and include a record of the lobbyists’ interactions with commissioners.
“If you are being paid by someone else, and advocate a position or process that benefits them, that should be reported,” Murman says.
Lobbyists would be required to report any official contact with commissioners or county staff within 72 hours, and to pay an annual registration fee to recover the administrative costs to the county attorney’s office.
Lobbyists representing non-profits would be exempt from the fee.
A warning or reprimand might be given for a first offense, but fines could be imposed for repeated offenses and possibly a ban from lobbying the county could be imposed.
Murman is also asking the county attorney’s office to review the definition of a lobbyist and eliminate ambiguities in determining who is acting in the capacity as a professional lobbyist. It should be possible to fashion a measure that prevents abuse without making an offense of a casual conversation in a grocery store.
Murman, a former state lawmaker, says she wants to have rules in place similar to the Florida Legislature’s to monitor the activities of lobbyists who try to gain an edge for their clients. Lobbyists in Tallahassee must register and list their clients, and the information is made public.
The county has asked Sheriff David Gee’s office to review the awarding of a consultant’s contract involving Go Hillsborough, an effort that is building toward a potential 2016 sales tax referendum on transportation needs.
Critics of the effort say the awarding of the $1.3 million contract was influenced by Beth Leytham, a public relations professional with close ties to elected officials in Tampa and Hillsborough County government. Leytham was later hired by the consultant to conduct public outreach for Go Hillsborough. Leytham says she is not a lobbyist and did not attempt to influence the hiring of the consultant who hired her.
Having a clear definition of what constitutes professional lobbying, and having penalties in place for failing to report the contact with county officials, will make it easier to police the conversations that can shape the county’s future.
