Apopka lobbyist wasn’t registered
From late 2014 through 2015, Apopka shelled out $165,000 in taxpayer money to retired employee Richard Anderson to lobby state and federal government on behalf of the city he knew so well.
But state records show there was no registered Apopka lobbyist for that time period.
For 15 months straight, while Anderson was accepting $11,000 sums for his lobbying services, Orange County’s second-largest city had no registered advocate, either in Tallahassee or in Washington, D.C.
Apopka Mayor Joe Kilsheimer said he remembers seeing Anderson in the state capital last year. Although he never actually witnessed him lobbying for the city, he had no reason to look over Anderson’s shoulder, he said.
“Richard’s status and business practices as a lobbyist are his business,” Kilsheimer said. “And I nev- er felt like I had to get into how Richard conducts his own business.”
The law requires those who lobby Florida lawmakers or agencies to register with the state and to disclose the interests they represent. Anderson was not registered as a state lobbyist in 2014. He was registered the following year, but only to advocate for a software and service company and not for the city of Apopka.
Anderson was never registered
to represent the city’s interests in Washington, D.C., according to a database compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics.
Anderson said he hasn’t done any state or federal lobbying for Apopka because city officials never requested it.
“The city hasn’t given me any legislative priorities on what they would like to see, thus far,” he said.
Anderson has been drawing $22,000 payments from Apopka each month since his September 2014 retirement from the city, records show.
Half of his monthly payout under his city contract is for lobbying state and federal government, and the remaining $11,000 compensates Anderson for working as a con- sultant on special projects, like the much-anticipated Apopka town center.
At the time of his departure, the 42-year Apopka employee was the highest-paid city administrator in Central Florida.
From October 2014 through January, the city paid Anderson $352,000 for both the lobbying and consultation services.
Anderson, 61, said he’s devoted his attention so far to advancing the planned town center, envisioned as a community hub complete with shopping, dining and recreational activities. Through his efforts, residents are seeing movement on a project “that is going to change the complexion of Apopka,” he said.
Kilsheimer said that on the whole, Anderson has delivered as promised in the contract.
“I think we’re on the verge of landing a city center development agreement which is going to be transformative to the city of Apopka, and Richard has played a key role in that,” he said.
Pulling off the city center will require road improvements, and Anderson said his lobbying services will come into play to secure cooperation from state transportation officials. Records show he is registered as an Apopka lobbyist for the 2016 state legislative session.
But up to this point, there has been no need to lobby state or federal lawmakers, he said.
Apopka Commissioner Sam Ruth, the only City Council member to vote against the contract with Anderson, said he doesn’t think taxpayers have gotten their money’s worth out of the deal.
“Have we received anything that’s been beneficial for that contract? I say no,” Ruth said. “To me, it’s an empty piece of paper.”
Kilsheimer said he checks in with Anderson on a regular basis. Anderson — who joined the Ballard Partners lobbying firm in late 2014 — has mentioned reaching out to federal officials about traffic issues around the city center and a situation involving a business that wanted to come to Apopka, the mayor said.
Anderson is also supposed to turn in monthly written reports documenting his progress on various projects and lobbying efforts. He’s only submitted nine reports so far, a public records request showed.
The one-page updates he has submitted are largely identical and skim over a list of projects without providing detail. Ruth said the reports do little to describe what the city is getting from Anderson.
Dave Mica, chair of the Florida Association of Professional Lobbyists, said Anderson is not a member of his organization and declined to comment on Apopka’s situation. However, there are industry standards for lobbyists, he said.
“It’s stated in our code of ethics that all members should diligently and vigorously advance the interests of their client and employer,” he said.
In 2013 — the year before Kilsheimer and three city commissioners approved Anderson’s contract — Apopka officials paid lobbying firms $132,000 to handle government relations for the city.
The Center for Responsive Politics database shows the city had three federal lobbyists registered for them in 2014. Three more Apopka lobbyists were registered at the state level until August 2014.
Anderson’s lobbying services were meant as a replacement for these firms, Kilsheimer said when the contract was signed.
Anderson’s contract with the city also offers him reimbursement for travel, postage, photocopying, telephone usage and other costs. Since signing the agreement, Anderson has never reported any out-of-pocket expenses, according to the Apopka city clerk.
The initial term of Anderson’s contract expires in September, and Kilsheimer said the city council will decide whether to extend the agreement. Ruth said he would oppose renewing the contract.