The request for City Council is to approve the recommendation of The Southern Group for state lobbying services in an amount not to exceed $43,200 per year.

As Council is aware, a request for proposals was let to seek proposals from qualified and experienced individuals and or firms for lobbying services on behalf of the City to the legislature and executive branches of the State of Florida. A total of six responses were received, viewed and ranked by the selection committee.  The top three firms selected to make a presentation to the committee were Pittman Law Group, Sunrise Consulting Group and The Southern Group.  The presentations were evaluated on the following criteria:

• Breadth of Firms Services
• Depth and History of Firms Relationship with Key Tallahassee Stakeholders
• Ability to Understand and Adequately Represent the City’s Needs and Report Action
• Quality of Submittal and Presentation
• Qualifications of Staff Assigned to Represent the City

At the conclusion of the interviews, the committee ranked The Southern Group as the top firm.  Should Council concur with staff's recommendation of The Southern Group, the firm will be in attendance at your work session on Monday, November 20th to discuss the City's legislative priorities for the upcoming Florida Legislative Session that begins on January 9, 2024.