Last year there were 76 occurrences of individuals or groups lobbying the Town of Collingwood, according to data collected through the lobbyist registry.
Since January 2020 the town has required all lobbying activity go through the registry.
Lobbying describes any communication with a member of council or town staff by an individual representing a business or financial interest who is intending to influence a decision on government matters outside of normal processes.
Jocelyn McCauley, who is currently the town’s lobbyist registrar overseeing the implementation and enforcement of the registry delivered her annual report to council this week.
In 2020, McCauley received 82 submissions from potential lobbyists and determined six of those registrations were activities exempt from registering.
According to the town’s lobbyist registry bylaw lobbying does not include communication at a council, committee, or public meeting; communication limited to requests for information, and communication about applications for grants, service, planning approval, permits, or other licence programs.
There are a few more exemptions listed in the town’s bylaw, which is available online.
According to McCauley’s report there were 44 in-house lobbyists registered (meaning employees or partners with the company they’re lobbying on behalf of), 29 were consultants hired to lobby for someone else, and three were volunteers not paid for lobbying.
The most common department lobbied was the town’s IT department. The breakdown for the number of lobbyists reaching out to each town department was as follows:
- IT – 12
- Transportation – 10
- Water/Sewer – 9
- Parks and Recreation – 9
- Infrastructure – 9
- Procurement – 9
- Other (various departments with only a couple of requests each) – 22
A majority of the lobbyists on the registry are from Collingwood, with some from as far away as the U.S. and New Zealand. McCauley provided a breakdown of the Ontario locations:
- Collingwood – 23
- Toronto – 11
- Mississauga – 6
- Barrie – 2
- North York – 2
- Guelph – 2
- Ottawa – 2
The Town of Collingwood, according to McCauley, was the seventh municipality in Ontario and the first municipality of its size to implement a lobbyist registry.
Part of the actions investigated during the Collingwood Judicial Inquiry centred around lobbying that occurred without public disclosure while the town was deciding to purchase and install fabric membrane structures for the Central Park Arena and Centennial Aquatic Centre.
Thirty-six of the 306 recommendations from the commissioner’s report at the conclusion of the inquiry were directed at lobbying.
McCauley said the “bulk” of those recommendations were already in place prior to the release of the commissioner’s report.
The main recommendation not yet applied in Collingwood suggested the town’s lobbyist registrar not be an employee, but an independent individual or firm on contract.
The town is working on a request for proposal for an individual or firm to serve as the town’s integrity commissioner, fairness monitor and lobbyist registrar.
“[The town has] created a registry that is user-friendly, cost-effective, and accommodates the intricacies of a small municipality,” said McCauley. “With this move, the Town of Collingwood has taken significant steps forward to ensure good governance and has emerged as a leader in its efforts to be accountable and transparent.”
Councillor Kathy Jeffery asked McCauley to clarify a councillor’s role when they hear from a potential lobbyist. Though the bylaw requires a lobbyist to register within ten days of their communication with the town, Jeffery was worried what would happen if they didn’t register.
McCauley said councillors should let her know whenever they advise someone to register as a lobbyist. As of July, 2020, she was given the power to apply sanctions against individuals or companies who do not comply with the town’s lobbying rules. Those sanctions can include banning people from future communications with the town.
McCauley said she’s been focused on education over enforcement since the registry is relatively new, but will be shifting focus to ensure greater compliance.
“We don’t want you [as councillors] in a position to have to enforce the bylaw,” said McCauley.
You can see the town’s lobbyist registry, including those who have registered, online here.
