M E M O R A N D U M
To: Honorable Mayor and Town Council
From: Roger Coriat, Council Member Seat 3
Date: May 15, 2019
Re: Amending Lobbyist Registration: Adding Section 2-238 to include
Prohibiting Lobbying by Campaign Consultants (Second Reading)
* Changes between 1st and 2nd reading are highlighted in yellow double
strikethrough/ double underline
REQUEST
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AN ORDINANCE OF THE MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF CUTLER BAY, FLORIDA, AMENDING CHAPTER 2, ARTICLE V, ENTITLED “LOBBYIST REGISTRATION,” BY ADDING SECTION 2-238 ENTITLED “PROHIBITING LOBBYING BY CAMPAIGN CONSULTANTS,” BY PROHIBITING CAMPAIGN CONSULTANTS AND CERTAIN AFFILIATED PERSONS OR ENTITIES FROM LOBBYING TOWN COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR A PERIOD OF TIME AFTER AN ELECTION; PROVIDING FOR DEFINITIONS AND LIMITED EXEMPTIONS; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR CONFLICTS; PROVIDING FOR CODIFICATION; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
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BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
The Town of Cutler Bay (the “Town”) has as its focus the best interests of its residents, tax payers, and anyone who does business with or visits the Town. Further, the Town should strive to be an exemplar of good government, demonstrated by the Council’s ability to operate as a high performance, effective policy-making team. To that end, the Mayor and Town Council adopted the 2014-19 Strategic Master Plan (via Resolution No. 14-71 in October 2014), making a firm commitment to abide by the Operating Principals and Core Values that are in the best interest of the Town.
The concept of public trust is the seminal idea that within the public lies the true power and future of a society. Therefore, whatever trust the public places in its officials must be respected. As per the Core Values of the Town, there is no substitute for honesty and ethical conduct. Moreover, the Town Council’s Operating Principals state that members of the Council will not acquiesce to special interests at the cost of alienating other members.
The Town has a paramount interest in preventing corruption or the appearance of corruption which could result in the erosion of public trust. Therefore, the attached Ordinance has been drafted in order to amend the Town’s Lobbyist Registration laws, so as to prohibit campaign consultants from lobbying the Town Council for a certain period of time.
This amendment to the Town’s ethics laws serve to augment the Town’s intent of good government, and will further place the Town at the forefront of local ethics legislation. The attached Ordinance is ready for Town Council review and deliberation.
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the Town Council adopt the approval of the attached Ordinance amending Chapter 2 of the Town Code, Lobbyist Registration, adding Section 2-238 to include Prohibiting Lobbying by Campaign Consultants.
ATTACHMENT(S)
Ø Attachment “A” - Advertisement Miami Herald (dated May 5, 2019)