The City of Austin approved $830,000 in spending to pay for the services of fifteen contract lobbyists this session. It's more than any other local government is spending this year. The hired guns will focus on Austin's "primary issues" as outlined by the city's government relations office:

- Opposing appraisal/revenue caps
- Opposing legislation that reduces the city's authority to regulate environment and water issues
- Seeking more funding for local transportation projects
- Seeking additional money for health care for the uninusured and underinsured in Austin and Travis County
- Supporting current city zoning authority

The full City Legislative Program is here.

"Sometimes I wish we didn't have to spend money like that," said Austin Mayor Will Wynn. "But it takes a big concerted effort to try to track the five thousand bills, any one of which may have a direct impact on our general fund or our ability to deliver services."

Taxpayer watchdog group Americans Prosperity has long opposed taxpayer-funded lobbying, largely because of instances where the taxpayers are footing the bill for priorities against their own interests (i.e. opposing appraisal caps).

"We believe the whole idea of taxpayer funded lobbying distorts the process. We believe our elected officials should be talking to one another. We elect them to do just that. We don't elect lobbyists and we shouldn't be paying for them," said Peggy Venable, AFP's State Director.

Check out Austin compared to other city's spending on lobbyists:

Fort Worth $184,000
Dallas $195,000
Houston $550,000
San Antonio $636,000
Austin $830,000

The city's spending on lobbyists leads the state's other municipalities by hundreds of thousands, and City Councilmember Randi Shade says it's partly because the city has been targeted in the past with "Austin-bashing" bills that limit the city's authority to regulate land use and environmental issues.

"The best offense is a good defense," Shade said.

Austin's hired hands are a well-known and well-connected lot. They're after the jump.

1 Comments

Will Franklin said:

Taxpayer-funded lobbying is disgraceful. They're using dollars I give them to secure more dollars from me, which they use for more dollars from me via lobbying, which they then use to get more dollars from me... which they then use to lobby for more taxpayer dollars from me...

...and so on.

February 4, 2009 12:21 PM

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