Commissioner Murman mentioned and quoted in this Tampa Tribune article on lobbying ordinance:
EDITORIALS
Editorial: Bringing the lobbyists out of the shadows in Hillsborough County
Published: January 27, 2016
The Hillsborough County Commission has taken the right course by passing an ordinance aimed at ending the lax oversight of the contact they have with lobbyists trying to influence their decisions.
In a unanimous vote, the commission added some teeth to its lobbying rules by imposing stronger penalties for failing to sign in before meeting with commissioners. Lobbyists will be required to list the topic they intend to discuss, the industry or interests they represent, and the commissioners they plan to meet with. Electronic communications are also addressed in the new rules, and an online registry will make the information public and readily available. The Hillsborough County Attorney’s Office will monitor compliance and investigate reported violations.
That may sound like common sense, but not all governments are willing to impose the rules on themselves. Led by Commissioner Sandy Murman, the commission now has a structure in place that brings more transparency to county government and that carries consequences for those who fail to comply. “It tightens the rules,” she says.
It’s been an open secret for years that the few rules governing contact by lobbyists were pretty much ignored at the County Center in downtown Tampa where the commissioners have their offices. Nobody was checking to make sure the lobbyists were recording their visits on a sign-in sheet. And there was no policing of electronic correspondence.
Then the controversy last year over the awarding of a Go Hillsborough contract raised questions about the county’s lobbying rules. Results of an investigation into the Go Hillsborough contract are expected to be released soon.
In the meantime, the county will move forward with its new lobbying registry, which might be up and running in a few months.
Under the new rules, lobbyists will be required to pay a $50 annual registration fee. Before visiting, they will provide information about the commissioners being visited and the topic being discussed.
The new rules also bring clarity to whether someone is acting as a lobbyist. It defines a lobbyist as someone being paid by an outside interest to discuss an issue with a commissioner or staff member. Lastly, the measure addresses electronic communication, making it clear that texts and emails represent official contact.
A first violation will result in a warning. A second violation will bring a $250 fine, and a third violation will bring a $500 fine and 90-day suspension of lobbying privileges. A fourth will result in a $500 fine and a year’s suspension.
The lobbyist meeting logs are primarily for meetings at the County Center, and that could leave registered lobbyists free to meet with commissioners for lunch or for other activities outside the office without recording that meeting. Murman says she’s aware that could be a problem and intends to address it moving forward.
Commissioners face decisions every week that can affect our quality of life for generations to come. Whether housing developments and retail centers are approved, or a transit referendum will appear on the ballot, are of intense interest to private entities that can profit from the decision.
The public has a right to know who is trying to influence our commissioners, and these new rules mark a welcome step toward bringing the shadowy world of lobbying out into the sunshine.
