Atlanta City Council members introduced legislation requiring individuals and principals seeking to influence legislative or administrative actions of the city to register as a lobbyist.

The ordinance would require registration for any effort to influence an approval or veto of legislation; an agency’s proposal, consideration, or promulgation of a regulation; or the solicitation, award, or administration of a contract.

If approved, the effective date is January, 1, 2019.

Phoenix, Arizona has launched an online lobbyist database for 2018 registration and reporting purposes. It is available at https://lobbyist.phoenix.gov.

In order to use the system, a user name and password is needed. The website can also be used to search for a particular organization’s lobbying efforts.

For questions about using this new system, contact the Phoenix Office of the City Clerk at lobbyist@phoenix.gov or 602-534-0490.

The San Jose City Council is set to consider new lobbyist regulations at its meeting on June 20.

As proposed, the changes will require lobbyists to file online reports every Monday if they met with city officials the week prior. The increased reporting frequency is aimed at improving transparency because currently most city decisions are decided before quarterly lobbyist reports are available to the public. The council is also scheduled to consider changing San Jose’s gift ordinance on June 20.

Under the current ordinance, city officials may not accept gifts valued more than $50. The proposed amendment will increase the limit to $470 and require reporting for gifts valued more than $50.

The Phoenix City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to give final approval to the city’s lobbying ordinance overhaul.

Under the amended rules, lobbyists not filing required registration or disclosure forms can face sanctions, including fines of up to $2,500, suspension from lobbying and jail time.

The ordinance also requires lobbyists to disclose to city officials whom they contact if they are working in a capacity as a lobbyist and expands covered officials that trigger registration.

The ordinance will take effect July 1, 2017.

City Council discovered its lobbying regulations have no enforcement mechanism several months ago, but it has yet to agree on whether violations should be treated as civil or criminal matters.

The discovery began following a controversial vote on a request to pay out $1.2 million to a developer for stormwater culverts on a city owned property. The developer’s lobbyists, a former city staffer and a lawyer at the law firm Burch & Cracchiolo, were not registered according to city records.

While the former city staffer’s attorney accused the city of losing or misfiling his registrations, the city contends the documents produced by Burch & Cracchiolo were falsely created and backdated because they use the law firm’s current letterhead, not the letterhead the firm used in 2015.

When the matter was referred to the city prosecutor, he discovered the current ordinance does not explicitly say failure to file proper lobbying documents is unlawful and does not specify the penalty for failing to register. The city prosecutor previously assumed noncompliance could result in a misdemeanor charge.

Any changes to current lobbying regulations will impact the work of more than 300 registered lobbyists in the city.

Photo of Phoenix City Hall by Kevin Dooley

On March 1, a new lobbying law took effect in the Regional Municipality of Peel, Ontario. By-law Number 47-2016 creates a Lobby Registry and Registration System and establishes the position and duties of the Lobbyist Registrar.

The new law covers consultant, in-house, and voluntary unpaid lobbyists. A return is required to be filed within five business days of a covered communication or may take place in advance of lobbying. Lobbyists must register a separate subject matter registration for each issue they lobby and must include a description of the issue being lobbied, who will be lobbied, and when the lobbying will occur or has occurred.

Former public office holders are prohibited from lobbying for one year after leaving their position. Lobbying on a contingency basis is also prohibited under the new law.

The Bureau of Elections adjusted lobbying reporting thresholds, fees and penalties for the new year. These annual adjustments reflect changes in the Detroit consumer price index and are effective January 1, 2017.

Updates include a $50 increase in the expenditure threshold. Any lobbyist or lobbyist agent is required to register if expenditures exceed $2400 during a 12-month period. Transactions of $1200 or more between a lobbyist/lobbyist agent and a public official must be reported. The 2016 threshold was $1175.

Additionally, the permitted value of food and beverages purchased for public officials in any one month increased from $58 to $59.