Lobbying Regulations
What is the purpose of the lobbying regulations?
The City's lobbying disclosure program serves to improve transparency and inform the public of efforts to influence City Officials. To achieve this goal, lobbying entities and city officials are required to file reports disclosing certain lobbying activities.
To view lobbying activities in the City, please visit the Auditor's Lobbying Reports Portal. For historical reports, click here.
What is a lobbying entity?
A lobbying entity means any individual, business association, corporation, partnership, association, club, company, business trust, organization, public agency, government, or other group who attempts to influence elected officials, bureau directors, and other city officials.
What are the general requirements for these regulations?
For Elected Officials (the Mayor, Commissioners, and City Auditor):
- File reports each calendar quarter disclosing any gifts or donations from any lobbying entities. This report is mandatory for elected officials, regardless of whether they received any gifts.
- Publish calendars each quarter.
For City Directors (directors or individuals in charge of certain bureaus):
- File quarterly reports only if they have reportable activities in the quarter, such as receipt of a gift valued at $25 of more from a lobbyist or if they have made a request for donations from a group lobbying the City.
- Publish calendars each quarter.
For City Officials (City Directors, at-will staff of elected officials, and appointees to certain boards):
- File quarterly reports only if they have reportable activities in the quarter, such as receipt of a gift valued at $25 of more from a lobbyist or if they have made a request for donations from a group lobbying the City.
View the current City Official List (September 2024).
For Lobbying Entities:
- Register with the Auditor's Office within three business days after meeting one of the following thresholds:
- spending at least eight cumulative hours lobbying in a calendar quarter; or
- spending at least $1,000 lobbying in a calendar quarter.
- File quarterly reports disclosing any lobbying activity if one of the following thresholds are met:
- spent at least eight cumulative hours lobbying in a calendar quarter; or
- spent at least $1,000 lobbying in a calendar quarter.
For more specific requirements, please review City Code Chapter 2.12 - Regulation of Lobbying Entities.
For City Officials and Lobbying Entities: To file a quarterly report, click here.
Political Consultant Regulations
What is the purpose of this program?
The City's political consultant disclosure program serves to improve transparency and inform the public of efforts to influence elected officials. Generally, elected officials may seek political consulting services when running for re-election or when supporting or opposing certain ballot measures.
To view political consultant reports, please visit the Auditor's Political Consultant Portal. For historical reports, click here.
What is a political consultant?
A political consultant is a person or entity that provides campaign management and political strategy services to the following:
- Elected City officials;
- Successful candidates for City office; or
- Successful candidates' principal campaign committees.
Common services that political consultants provide include:
- Political polling;
- Advising or assisting in voter contact strategies and services;
- Advising in media strategy, buying and advertisement;
- Providing candidate development, policy training, political image consulting, and designing, implementing and analyzing polls and surveys;
- Performing issues research and opposition research;
- Developing, assisting in strategic communication such as news releases, talking points and speech writing; and
- Advising on negative information handling an political crisis management.
What are the general requirements of this disclosure program?
- For Elected Officials (The Mayor, Commissioners, and City Auditor):
- File reports each calendar quarter identifying the political consultant(s) who provided services.
- If an elected official sponsors a City referred measure, disclose the measure and political consultant who provided or will provide consulting services.
- For Political Consultants:
- Register with the Auditor's Office within 15 days after providing political consulting services to a City elected official, disclosing the name(s) of the elected official(s).
- If services are provided in support of a City referred measure, disclose the name, address, and contact information for the lead representative of the measure.
- File a termination notice when no longer providing consulting services.
For more specific requirements, please review City Code Chapter 2.14 - Reporting by Political Consultants.
Does this disclosure program have any prohibitions?
- A City elected official shall not knowingly utilize a Political Consultant who is in violation of this Chapter.
- A Political Consultant shall not provide Political Consulting Services without reporting as required under this Chapter.
- No person shall submit false, fraudulent or misleading information on statements, including but not limited to misrepresenting the scope or nature of services provided or the identity of clients to whom services are provided.