§ 1-262. Lobbying registration, statements, and fees.

(a)

Prior to engaging in any lobbying of a covered individual, each lobbyist shall, with regard to each principal on whose behalf the lobbyist will be lobbying:

(1)

File with the County Administrator, in the form prescribed by the County Administrator, an annual registration statement under oath stating:

a.

The lobbyist's full name; the name of the lobbyist's employer; and the lobbyist's employment address, telephone number, and email address;

b.

The full name, address, and telephone number of the lobbyist's principal;

c.

The extent of any direct business association by the lobbyist with any current elected or appointed official or employee of Broward County. For the purposes of this article, the term "direct business association" shall mean any mutual endeavor undertaken for profit or compensation; and

d.

That the lobbyist, if he or she is representing a group, association, or organization, has, prior to engaging in the lobbying, received appropriate authorization from said group, association, or organization to lobby on its behalf for the particular subject matter.

(2)

Pay to the County an annual Fifty Dollar ($50) registration fee for each principal on whose behalf he or she intends to lobby. The registration fees required by this paragraph shall be expended by the County solely for the purpose of defraying the administrative costs of implementing, monitoring, and otherwise ensuring compliance with this section. A lobbyist who is lobbying as a volunteer, without any compensation, is not required to pay a registration fee in connection with those uncompensated lobbying activities.

(b)

A lobbyist is required to promptly amend any filed registration statement if any information in the statement changes.

(c)

Registration statements are effective from July 1 of a given year through June 30 of the following year. Registration fees paid under (a)(2) above cover lobbying activities during the effective period of the registration statement. A new registration statement shall be filed, and all required fees shall be paid, prior to engaging in any lobbying activities after expiration of a previously-filed registration statement.

(d)

Disclosure Statement Required.

(1)

On or before July 15 of each year, each lobbyist shall submit to the County Administrator's Office, in form prescribed by the County Administrator, a signed statement under oath, disclosing all lobbying expenditures, contingency fees, and the sources from which funds for making such expenditures and paying such contingency fees have come. The statement shall provide such information with respect to all lobbying activities undertaken from July 1 of the prior year through June 30 of the year in which such disclosure statement is required to be filed. Lobbying expenditures shall not include personal expenses for lodging, meals, and travel. A statement shall be filed even if there have been no expenditures during a reported period. A public official acting in his or her official capacity shall not be required to file the statement required by this subsection.

(2)

The County Administrator shall provide for a procedure by which a lobbyist who fails to timely file a disclosure statement shall be notified and assessed fines. The procedure shall provide for the following:

a.

Upon determining that the statement is late, the person designated to review the timeliness of the statement shall promptly notify the lobbyist as to the failure to timely file the statement and that a fine is being assessed for each late day. The fine shall be Fifty Dollars ($50) per day for each late day.

b.

Upon receipt of the late-filed statement, the person designated to review the timeliness of the statement shall determine the amount of the fine due.

c.

Such fine shall be paid within twenty (20) days after receipt of the notice of payment due, unless timely appeal is made to the Board.

d.

A fine shall not be assessed against a lobbyist the first time any statement for which the lobbyist is responsible is not timely filed, provided all statements for which the lobbyist is responsible are filed within twenty (20) days after receipt of notice that any statements have not been timely filed. A fine shall be assessed for any subsequent late-filed statement.

e.

Any lobbyist may appeal a fine, based upon unusual circumstances surrounding the failure to file by the designated due date, and may request and shall be entitled to a hearing before the Board, which shall have the authority to waive the fine in whole or in part for good cause shown. To be entitled to such appeal, the lobbyist must, within twenty (20) days after receipt of the notice of payment due, deliver a letter requesting a hearing to the person designated to review the timeliness of statements.

(e)

List of Current Lobbyists. The County Administrator's Office shall keep a current list of registered lobbyists and their respective statements required under this article, all of which shall be open for public inspection.

(f)

Partial Year Filing Required. Discontinuance of lobbying activities during a year shall not relieve the lobbyist of the requirement to file the statement required by subsection (d)(1) above for that portion of the year during which the lobbyist was engaged in lobbying activities.

(Ord. No. 2001-15, § 3, 5-8-01; Ord. No. 2009-34, § 2, 6-23-09; Ord. No. 2009-67, § 2, 10-13-09; Ord. No. 2017-18 , § 4, 5-23-17)