City Of Omaha Seeks Second Lobbyist To Work State Legislature In Lincoln

From Nebraska Examiner:

By Paul Hammel

September 21, 2022

LINCOLN — The City of Omaha is advertising to hire a second, “supplemental” lobbyist to work alongside longtime city lobbyist Jack Cheloha.

Cheloha, who has held the job for 23 years, says he’s “in the dark” about the request. But Mayor Jean Stothert, who initiated the effort, said hiring an additional lobbyist during the last session for bills related to the city’s streetcar initiative was helpful.

“We learned there is a benefit to having additional support in the Legislature,” Stothert said.

Just how much an additional lobbyist will cost the city was unclear. The budget category that funds services such as lobbying was doubled in the new city budget, from $55,000 to $110,000, but the request for bids says the salary is negotiable.

Lobbyist paid $160,000

Cheloha, a 57-year-old lawyer and native of Columbus, is paid $160,000 a year to pitch the city’s positions at the State Capitol. He serves as a deputy city attorney when the Nebraska Legislature is not in session.

The request for the new lobbyist came from the Omaha city attorney, who works under the mayor. Cheloha has traditionally represented views of the Omaha City Council as well as the Mayor’s Office, unless the mayor has a different opinion on a bill.

Postcards seeking bids were recently mailed to lobbyists who work the State Capitol, which one veteran lobbyist described as unusual.

Bids are due Sept. 28, and an “evaluation committee” of city staff will screen the applicants. The mayor will approve a finalist. All city contracts of more than $20,000 must be approved by the City Council, so it’s likely the council will get to weigh in on this issue.

City Attorney Matt Kuhse said it’s hoped to have someone hired by November given that the Nebraska Legislature’s next session begins in January.

When asked about the need for an additional lobbyist, Pete Festersen, council president, deferred questions to the Mayor’s Office.

Additional lobbyists hired in past

It won’t be the first time the city has hired additional lobbyists, but those hires were usually temporary, part-time jobs, and often happened when the council and mayor didn’t agree on an issue.

Cheloha said if there was a disagreement between the council and mayor, he would lobby the council’s position, while another lobbyist would be hired to provide the mayor’s point of view. Casino gambling, he said, was one example of such a difference of opinion.

The city sometimes hires additional lobbyists for more persuasive firepower — as it did in the 2022 legislative session.

Veteran lobbyist Don Wesely, a former state senator and former Lincoln mayor, said his firm was once hired by the city to lobby for a bill allowing cities to levy an additional 1/2-cent sales tax.

During the 2022 session, the Omaha lobbying firm of Kelley Plucker was paid $18,000, according to state reports, which stated that the purpose was to lobby bills related to sports arena financing and distribution of COVID-19 recovery funds.

Transition needed?

There’s some speculation around the State Capitol that the city is seeking a second lobbyist because Cheloha is nearing retirement and a transition needs to begin.

For his part, Cheloha said he has considered retirement “down the road” — he becomes eligible next month under the city’s retirement plan — but he said the effort to hire a second lobbyist “may expedite it.”

“I plan to stay on for the 2023 session and then I’ll see where it goes from there,” he said.

The request for proposals (RFP) states that the new, supplemental lobbyist will work “under the direction and supervision of the City Attorney.” The position, the RFP states, will be in addition to lobbying activities conducted by the city lobbyist.

The RFP includes a warning: If the city became short of money, the position could be eliminated. The RFP also indicates the city has the option of hiring more than one supplemental lobbyist.

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