Less than two years after Jacksonville cut its $430,000-a-year budget for Capitol lobbyists, a difference of opinion is developing between some lawmakers and the mayor's office about the city's ability to get things done in Tallahassee.
Mayor Alvin Brown is happy with one, in-house lobbyist. But others — mindful of cities that spend a lot more for representation — aren't so sure.
Councilman Bill Bishop will lead a new subcommittee that will explore the idea of Jacksonville again hiring full-time Capitol lobbyists. He met with council President Stephen Joost, state Rep. Lake Ray, R-Jacksonville, and Brown's chief of staff, Chris Hand, last week to discuss the idea.
"No one looks out for your interests better than you do," Bishop said. "I just want to analyze what we have done before, and look at if we are doing the right thing."
Hand said Brown is comfortable with the performance of the city's sole lobbyist, Mario Rubio, who draws a City Hall salary of $105,000 per year.
"We are always happy to have a conversation with the council," Hand said, "but we think having one city employee focused like a laser on moving the city's agenda forward is the way to go."
He said that lobbying firms have to consider the interests of many clients.
"He [Rubio] has only one client," Hand said.
It's that the one client has only one lobbyist that has lawmakers concerned.
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