In an effort to increase transparency and accountability within municipal lobbying, the City of Boston launched a registration portal for lobbyists. As of April 16, the City mandates lobbying clients, lobbyists and lobbyist entities register with the City Clerk’s Office every year.
Boston Mayor Martin Walsh said in a press release he hopes the registration portal will bring transparency and accountability to City lobbying.
“After years of effort and negotiations from when I first filed these reforms, I am proud that the City Council has worked with my administration to pass an ordinance creating a system that brings transparency and accountability to municipal lobbying for the first time,” Walsh said in the release. “This ordinance will help the City of Boston continue to meet the high expectations of transparency and accountability that Boston’s residents expect and deserve.”
Walsh appointed three individuals to a City-level enforcement commission created under the new ordinance, including attorney Sammy Nabulsi of Roxbury.
Nabulsi said in an interview that in his opinion, by registering lobbyists, local government is able to establish accountability with citizens which is important in the contentious politics of today’s America.
“Especially in this climate, where you have a federal government that is either closing doors or avenues for access into government, or prolonging the ability of citizens or even lawmakers to obtain certain records from the federal government,” Nabulsi said, “I think ordinary citizens every day are looking for information.”
At the federal level people lack access to information and, as a result, are denied a basic fundamental right, Nabulsi said. By giving locals access to information, he said, Boston has the opportunity to increase trust between citizens and their government.
“I think there’s a real opportunity and likely outcome that the City of Boston will have ever-growing trust with its citizens,” Nabulsi said, “when it gives them the opportunity to figure out who is knocking on the doors of our counselors and our mayor’s office, and on behalf of who and advocating on what issues.”
Mariana Brugman, 24, of Revere, said she thinks it is important citizens know where the money that is supporting their politicians comes from.
“Then they know who they’re supporting, like the businesses they’re supporting,” Brugman said.
Kristen Bruck, 21, of Kenmore, said she thinks a potential downfall to the lobbying registration portal is that it could make individuals’ personal opinions public that they would rather keep private.
“If someone has this particular stance on something, and they are really passionate about it,” Bruck said, “… They might have a family that disagrees with them.”
Dorchester resident Errol Sinclair, 32, said he thinks that a citizen’s right to information on the government should not be contingent on whether they intend to use that information.
“I think it’s important to have this information,” Sinclair said. “I don’t know if [Walsh is] going to just force people to do anything with the information, but I feel like it’s important for us to have it because it’s our right.”
