Seaport Manatee board approves larger state lobbying retainer after heated debate about measurable returns

The Seaport Manatee Port Authority on Jan. 28 approved an increase in its contract for state-level lobbying services amid questions from commissioners about how the port measures the return on that investment.

What passed: Port members voted to extend and increase the existing retainer for Grama Law Group to broaden state-level lobbying efforts tied to the port’s capital and grant pipeline. Port staff described the change as a necessary step to “gear up” state outreach and to pursue additional funding for port expansion and capital projects.

Debate over ROI: Commissioner Christian Bearden and others pressed staff for a clearer accounting of the amount of state funding the port had secured and what portion of those appropriations could be explicitly attributed to the Grama team’s lobbying. “I’m asking a simple business question: what is our return on the investment? Is it 10x, 20x, 100x?” Bearden asked. Port and county staff said that lobbying results are partly quantitative (appropriations) and partly qualitative (access to decision-makers, legislative relationships and introductions), and that some awards rely on team efforts involving multiple lobbyists.

Staff and finance comments: Denise Stufflebeam, director of business administration and finance for the port, cited recent appropriations and grants the port has secured with staff and outside lobbying support, saying FDOT appropriations alone over the past eight years amount to “hundreds of millions” and pointing to specific recent awards the port received while engaging lobbyists — for example, a $16.5 million FDOT award for berth rehabilitation and an $11 million federal grant for an intermodal container yard project. Staff said Grama Law Group handles state lobbying only (not federal lobbying) and that the Grama firm is already the port’s existing provider; the proposed change was an increase in scope/fee to pursue more state-level opportunities.

Support and opposition…