OC supervisors seek lobbyist meeting disclosures

Two Orange County supervisors have proposed an ordinance that would require lobbyists to publicly report meetings with county leaders, according to Voice of OC. The measure would create quarterly lobbying reports and broaden county rules beyond contacts with supervisors.

The proposal would mark Orange County’s first quarterly lobbying activity reporting requirement, Voice of OC reported. Supporters say the public should be able to see who is trying to shape county decisions that affect residents.

The proposed ordinance, submitted by Orange County Supervisors’ Chairman Doug Chafee and Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento, would require lobbyists to disclose meetings with county leaders on a quarterly basis, according to Voice of OC.

Current county rules require lobbyists to identify their clients but do not require them to report meetings, Voice of OC reported. The proposal would also expand lobbying rules to cover contacts with commission appointees and department heads, not only county supervisors.

“The absence of lobbyist disclosure requirements in Orange County raises significant transparency concerns,” a staff report submitted by Chafee and Sarmiento said, according to Voice of OC.

Shirley Grindle, author of Orange County’s 1978 campaign finance ordinance and a former leader in establishing the OC Ethics Commission, called the disclosure changes overdue. “While I am sure the county lobbyists will be putting lots of pressure on each of you to deny these changes, it is more important to bring lobbying influence into the open where the public for the first time can be informed of the lobbyists attempts to influence your decisions,” Grindle wrote, according to Voice of OC.

Sarmiento, who Voice of OC reported is the only supervisor who publishes his office calendar after supervisors declined the outlet’s requests for their calendars, said residents deserve more visibility. “Our residents should be aware of who is working to influence the decisions that affect their daily lives, which is why we publish our office calendar and share who we have met with,” Sarmiento said in a statement to Voice of OC. “We owe that to the people who put their trust in us to work in their best interest.”

David Loy, general counsel with the state’s First Amendment Coalition, told Voice of OC that public access to officials’ calendars can help reveal influence and possible conflicts. “At the end of the day, elected officials work for the people,” Loy said.