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Board gives first reading to ordinance creating lobbying registration and reporting rules; commissioners set delayed implementation
Summary
Multnomah County commissioners on April 10 approved on first reading an ordinance to require registration and quarterly reporting for paid lobbyists, expand cooling-off rules for former officials and require quarterly posting of commissioners' official calendars. The board set an implementation delay to allow staff to build systems and training.
The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners approved a first reading Thursday of an ordinance establishing lobbying registration and quarterly reporting requirements for paid lobbyists, a one-year cooling-off period for some former officials, and new calendar-posting requirements for commissioners.
The ordinance defines lobbying as attempts to influence legislative action through communication with public officials, and requires persons or firms that spend 10 or more hours lobbying county officials in a quarter to register as lobbyists within three business days and file quarterly reports listing expenditures over $50 and naming public officials who received reportable benefits. The $50 reporting threshold mirrors an existing state standard.
Commissioners emphasized voluntary compliance and education as implementation priorities. The measure creates a set of escalating administrative penalties for noncompliance but aims first to inform and assist prospective filers. It also bars county elected officials, department directors and staff from lobbying the county for one year on matters over which they exercised authority as public officials; the ordinance permits the chair or designee to grant exceptions after written findings that the county's best interest favors the contract.
Commissioner Bridal Edwards, who co-led the measure with Commissioner Singleton, said the rules align Multnomah County with other large jurisdictions and respond to community requests for greater transparency. Commissioner Singleton noted the ordinance is designed to exclude unpaid public advocates from the lobbyist definition and to exempt testimony or responses to direct requests from commissioners.
Board members discussed implementation logistics: where the program should be housed (options include the county clerk, county counsel, or auditor'model), software and staffing costs to accept online filings, and the need for public education. The county attorney advised a staged approach: the lobbying registration and reporting sections would have delayed implementation while calendar-posting and contracting-related provisions would take effect 30 days after the chair signs the ordinance.
After discussion, the board approved the first reading. The chair scheduled the second reading for May 1, 2025. Commissioners asked staff to produce an implementation plan that includes hosting training sessions for prospective filers, estimating software and staffing costs, and recommending the appropriate county office to administer the program.
Provenance: The ordinance item (R6) was introduced at the meeting's later session and concluded when the board completed the first reading vote.
