Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Lobbying Contracts topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commissioners question EQV Strategic contract communications; town attorney asked to research information‑sharing options
Summary
Commissioner Mark Tofano asked the board to cancel the town’s contract with EQV Strategic after seeking who EQV had contacted about Matthews bills and receiving limited written detail; the board did not cancel but directed the town attorney to research ways to share lobbying updates with commissioners while respecting public‑records limits.
A dispute over communications from the town’s retained legislative firm, EQV Strategic, surfaced during the March 10 meeting when Commissioner Mark Tofano asked whether the board should cancel the contract after reporting difficulty obtaining a roster of EQV’s outreach and topics.
Tofano said he had sent a broad set of inquiry emails to area legislators and local government officials asking whether they had spoken to EQV about Matthews‑related matters; he said few had replied and he had not received the detail he expected from the firm. Town Manager Becky Hawk explained the contract was authorized by a board motion; she and EQV representatives had treated the town manager as the board’s point of contact. Hawk said EQV had committed in the signed contract to provide monthly written updates and to circulate weekly general updates to clients; she told the board she has received direct verbal updates and had asked EQV to provide written monthly updates (the board received EQV’s March write‑up during the week before the meeting).
Several commissioners said they wanted a better, consistent way to receive EQV Strategic updates without creating public records that a lobbying firm would not publicize (lobbyists and municipalities both worried that distributing detailed meeting notes could expose advocacy strategies). Town Attorney Daniel Peterson said the public‑records law limits confidential exceptions; he recommended a memo summarizing statutory options and the limits on “confidential” lobbying communications. He agreed to research whether closed‑session briefing or another process could legitimately accommodate more detailed updates, then circulate guidance to the full board.
Outcome: The board did not cancel the contract. Instead the town attorney was asked to research and advise the board on how to balance commissioners’ desire for more detailed, timely advocacy briefings with public‑records obligations. Town Manager Hawk and several commissioners said EQV representatives had offered to speak one‑on‑one with any commissioner who wanted a private briefing.
Why it matters: Lobbying and outreach are core to small municipalities’ influence in the general assembly; commissioners said they want assurance that the town’s retained consultant is actively engaging the right legislators on Matthews’ priority issues and that the board receives timely, consistent updates.
Ending: The town attorney will present options and limitations to the board in a memo so commissioners can decide how they want to receive future updates from EQV Strategic and staff.
