Two Graphs Show Why the County Needs Lobbying Rules

When it comes to lobbying public officials, Multnomah County has come to be known as “the Wild West” because it’s lawless. Well, you can call Shannon Singleton and Julia Brim-Edwards the county’s Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday.

On March 10, the duo debuted a draft ordinance describing registration and reporting rules for people seeking the ear of county leaders. It would require individuals and entities that spend more than five hours lobbying in a given quarter to report their activities. Consistent with state law, the draft ordinance requires that any gifts or lobbying expenses that exceed $50 be reported quarterly as well. If passed, the lobbying rules would bring Multnomah County up to speed with the city of Portland and the Metro regional government. The proposed reform arrived 12 days after WW examined the absence of such regulations at the county (“Nothing to See Here,” Feb. 26).

Commissioners held a work session March 11 to discuss the proposal.

The conversation was congenial. No one disputed the need for lobbying rules. Brim-Edwards assured her colleagues that no one wanted to shut down input from community members, who often reach out to the board of commissioners with concerns.

“We’re not trying to set up a gotcha system, but really a system where there is transparency and it’s easy to comply with,” Brim-Edwards said.

Commissioner Meghan Moyer, who was a lobbyist for Disability Rights Oregon before winning her seat last year, recommended being mindful of when contact with an outside entity was lobbying and when it was technical assistance.

“I did both, but I coded my time differently,” she said.

The reason the absence of rules is so glaring is that a hefty portion of the county budget is paid out to contractors—more than a third of the county’s $3.3 billion budget in the fiscal year that ended June 30. In the division that grapples with the county’s most vexing problem, the Joint Office of Homeless Services, that percentage is far higher: 82% of the budget is spent through contractors. That means an enormous portion of public dollars are spent through organizations that don’t have to disclose whom they’ve been talking with.