This publication provides a wide range of information for the creation or improvement of a local lobbying oversight program, including a draft local government Model Lobbying Code. It also includes a discussion of the ways in which local lobbying differs from state and federal lobbying; a consideration of the reasons for setting up a lobbying oversight program; a look at the all-important definitions of what constitutes “lobbying” and who is a “lobbyist”; an in-depth look at the disclosure requirements and the obligations and prohibitions that local governments have instituted; and a consideration of the oversight and enforcement processes that will ensure that local lobbying is done openly and without improper conduct.
This resource, which will become a chapter in City Ethics’ free e-book Local Government Ethics Programs, is currently in draft form. Before we include it in the book, we are asking for feedback on it. Individual comments are welcome, or let us know that you would be willing to critique a certain section of the chapter. Please send feedback to Robert Wechsler at [email protected].City Ethics is making this resource available, at no cost, in multiple formats, so that it can be read on a computer, e-reader, tablet, or cellphone.
Select your preferred format from the images below. Right click the HTML format to open the chapter on a webpage in a separate tab or window. Or to download the chapter, left click on one of the other formats. Save the file to your computer, e-Reader, tablet, or smartphone and begin reading. The MOBI format is for the Kindle, and the EPUB format works on the Nook, the Sony Reader, and iBooks.