Asked the City Manager to confer with the City Solicitor and other relevant City departments to consider the pending State legislation and pending legislation in the City of Boston and any other actions that would allow Cambridge to institute municipal lobbying regulations

O-3

Calendar Item # 1

Original Order

The City of Cambridge continually strives to be open, transparent and accountable to the public it serves; and

Disclosing municipal lobbying efforts is an emerging best practice for municipalities nationwide, as it promotes government transparency, and enhances the public’s trust in their local government; and

Numerous cities around the country, including Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Antonio, San Diego, Dallas, San Jose, Austin, Jacksonville, and San Francisco have implemented disclosure regulations for municipal lobbying to achieve a more transparent government; and

There are currently two proposals, one in the City of Boston and one in the State Legislature, regarding disclosure requirements; and

The City of Boston is considering municipal lobbying regulations that would require lobbyists in the City of Boston to file twice-yearly reports declaring campaign contributions, the names of their clients, policies that they tried to influence or that they advocated on behalf of, compensation received from clients, and dates of lobbying communications; and

Mayor Walsh recently filed this legislation with the Boston City Council as a Home Rule petition, and it is currently before the Boston City Council’s Government Operations Committee; and

The State Senate is also considering Senate Bill 2451, An Act relative to the establishment of a Massachusetts municipal lobbying policy, a local option proposal that would allow municipalities to accept disclosure requirements for municipal lobbyists through the City Clerk’s office; and

Senate Bill 2451 would require lobbyists receiving more than $2,500 per year to disclose on what issues they are lobbying, who they are lobbying, and would require lobbyists to register annually with the City Clerk’s office; and

The City of Cambridge is known and respected as a national leader in many areas of open government, including its Open Data Initiative, and continually strives to inform and empower the public to engage in civic issues; and

It would benefit the public to require lobbyists to register and publicly report their work in the City of Cambridge; now therefore be it

ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the City Solicitor and other relevant City departments to consider the pending State legislation and pending legislation in the City of Boston and any other actions that would allow Cambridge to institute municipal lobbying regulations, and to report back to the Council in a timely manner.