BRADENTON — Manatee County Commission Chairman Tal Siddique moved to terminate the county’s federal lobbying contract with Ballard Partners, Inc. on Tuesday. The firm, which gained national prominence for its close relationship with the Trump administration, had represented the county since 2023.
Under the terms of the contract between Ballard Partners and the county, the firm received $180,000 a year to represent local interests before the legislative and executive branches in Washington, D.C. The contract included a provision for automatic annual renewals unless terminated.
Formerly having employed notable figures like Susie Wiles (President Donald Trump’s current Chief of Staff) and Pam Bondi (Trump’s former Attorney General, whom he removed last month), Ballard Partners' lobbyists include some big names in Florida politics.
But on Tuesday, Siddique questioned the value of the contract arrangement to the county and taxpayers, which was executed under a previous BOCC.
Siddique opened the item by explaining to commissioners that he’d been reviewing the contract (one of multiple county contracts he’s been inspecting) for about a year. After consulting with staff on the matter, Siddique felt the value/return of the agreement with Ballard Partners was insufficient relative to the amount the county was paying for services.
Siddique also pointed out that the proposed map for state redistricting, if adopted, would put Manatee County in direct competition with other counties for federal funding and that, with Congressman Vern Buchanan declining to seek reelection, a new congressional representative would assume his office at the start of next year.
“That’s a massive shift,” Siddique said. “We’ll be competing with five other counties, and we’ll also see a new congressperson come in to represent us, so that means we can’t just rely on Congressman Buchanan to leverage his seniority and years of experience to easily secure funding for the county.”
He proposed that the county seek alternative federal lobbying options to maximize value and requested board approval to issue a 30-day termination notice to Ballard Partners. Should the board support the termination, suggested Siddique, staff could later open a competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) to select a new firm, should the board decide there is a future need for federal lobbying services.
Manatee County entered into its contract with Ballard Partners in March 2023, following a push led by former commissioners Kevin Van Ostenbridge and Vanessa Baugh to replace Manatee County’s longtime federal lobbyist, Jocelyn Hong & Associates.
The decision appeared not to have originated publicly during a meeting, but instead developed behind the scenes months earlier. Text messages later revealed that former commissioner Van Ostenbridge and former deputy county administrator Robert Reinshuttle (who served under former county administrator Scott Hopes) were discussing dissatisfaction with the firm as early as mid-2022 and agreed on a strategy to temporarily extend the existing contract while quietly preparing to replace Hong & Associates.
Despite that private planning, the idea was presented to the full board much later as a new discussion, with some commissioners appearing to hear the proposal for the first time during a public work session.
When the issue surfaced publicly, Van Ostenbridge formally suggested seeking new federal lobbying representation, but former commissioner Vanessa Baugh went a step further—advocating for Ballard Partners as a replacement.
The stated rationale for replacing Hong & Associates focused on the need to find a firm with stronger connections in a changing political landscape, particularly with Republicans in Congress, and one perceived as better aligned with the new board’s priorities (including newly elected commissioners in 2022).
Baugh shared with commissioners that she had already participated in discussions with the firm and had provided copies of a pre-prepared contract proposal. That move, along with the timing of the proposal and prior behind-the-scenes coordination, raised questions at the time about whether the outcome had been informally decided in advance rather than developed through a transparent procurement process.
Even as Baugh pushed her proposed firm of choice, the county attorney at the time, Bill Clague, advised commissioners to proceed cautiously, recommending a competitive Request for Proposals and warning that large firms like Ballard Partners often prioritize higher-paying clients, for which they had many.
Despite Clague’s guidance, the board ultimately bypassed a competitive bidding process and moved forward with a non-competitive, single-source procurement. Such an approach is typically reserved for situations where only one viable provider exists, even though the county’s existing firm, Hong & Associates, had expressed interest in staying on in their existing contract with the county for federal lobbying services.
During the March 8, 2023, BOCC special work session, Baugh moved to enter into the contract with Ballard Partners. Unable to secure a stable Zoom connection—as she was participating in the meeting remotely—personal friend and political ally to Baugh, Commissioner Mike Rahn carried forward the item on Baugh’s behalf.
The action carried 7-0, with Rahn making the motion, Baugh seconding, and Commissioners Van Ostenbridge, James Satcher, Amanda Ballard, Jason Bearden, and George Kruse each voting in favor.
This Tuesday, when Siddique proposed terminating the Ballard Partners contract, Commissioner Kruse readily agreed.
“I totally support this,” said Kruse. “I’m of two minds on this. The first mind is, I don’t think we are getting our money's worth on this particular contract, but I also am not 100% sure we are getting our money’s worth on any federal lobbying contract. Our state lobbying contract is a different story.”
Kruse summarized the differences between state and federal lobbying services by describing the accessibility, responsiveness, and ready support of state-focused lobbyists, while categorizing federal lobbyists as “tour guides that set up meetings.”
He highlighted that under the current county administration, the county organization has added a Government Relations Department and staff working to build relationships with federal agencies such as FEMA and HUD. Kruse suggested that the board might explore terminating the existing federal lobbying contract and determine whether those services could be handled internally without engaging a new or replacement firm.
“This just seems like a lot of extra money that is being utilized unnecessarily,” he said. Kruse also drew attention to the fact that none of the representatives of Ballard Partners had attempted to contact the commissioners ahead of the meeting's discussion of the contract termination, and likewise, no one representing the firm appeared in chambers to provide comment.
“They literally have an office in Sarasota, not one of them drove from their office in Sarasota to simply say, ‘Hey, can we please keep our contract with you?’ They didn’t care. I 100% agree—we should terminate this immediately,” added Kruse.
Ahead of the board’s vote, Siddique offered, for his colleagues’ consideration, a reminder that the federal lobbying firm that was terminated and replaced by Ballard Partners in 2023, Hong & Associates, had notable successes not only in securing appropriations for the county but also in helping establish connections with political leaders and other organizations, including with Tunnel to Towers.
During the board discussion on the proposal to issue a 30-day notice of contract termination to Ballard Partners, only Siddique and Kruse offered comments. Though no other commissioners weighed in, including Rahn, Ballard, and Bearden—three commissioners who were on the board and who, along with Kruse, voted to sole-source Ballard Partners for federal lobbying services—the action carried 5-1.
Commissioner Bob McCann was the only commissioner to vote against the action, but did not provide any explanation for his dissent. TBT attempted to reach McCann following the meeting to learn more about his vote in opposition, but our attempts to contact the commissioner were unsuccessful.
To replay commissioner agenda item number 43 from the May 5, 2026, BOCC meeting, click the video below.
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THarte
My take away from this article - what was the contract amount from Hong & Associates?
Wednesday, May 6 Report this
David Daniels
Silly Manatee County, instead of paying Trump's favorite lobbyist firm, cut out the middleman. Everyone knows the way you get federal favors is to invest in worthless Trump crypto meme coins.
Wednesday, May 6 Report this
san.gander
When a County needs to hire a private firm to plead for their citizens to another layer of public government, something is very wrong with our way of governing. It is the duty of both layers of government to work for the best interests of the public... not just the one that "chirps" the loudest with it's mouth wide open like a baby bird!
No expensive private lobbying megaphone sould be needed nor waste taxpayers money! We have a corrupted system under Republican control dishing public money to "pals" for few, or unnessary reasons. It is GRAFT.
Our local politicians get to hand out & misuse public tax money blessed by the authority of the legal partnership firm of: "Dewey, Cheatem, and Howe", with DeSantis department of justice covering instead of investigating!
The voters' recourse... kick 'em out of office, all of them. The County Commission - poor planners, and so un-civic minded, definitel not for the people! Use your vote wisely!
Wednesday, May 6 Report this
GLEN GADFLY GIBELLINA
I am writing to formally express my support for the recent decision to terminate the county’s federal lobbying contract with Ballard Partners, Inc. This move represents a necessary step toward fiscal responsibility, administrative transparency, and a modernized strategy for Manatee County’s representation in Washington, D.C.
For too long, the $180,000 annual price tag associated with this contract has lacked a clearly defined return on investment for our taxpayers. Chairman Siddique’s diligent year-long review highlights a critical reality: the value provided to the county must be commensurate with the costs incurred.
There are several key reasons why this termination is the correct path forward for our community:
Adapting to a Changing Political Landscape: With the upcoming redistricting and the retirement of Congressman Vern Buchanan, Manatee County can no longer rely on legacy seniority to secure funding. We are entering a more competitive era where we will vie with five other counties for federal attention. We need a strategy that reflects this "massive shift" rather than a status-quo contract.
Fiscal Prudence and Internal Capacity: The recent establishment of a Government Relations Department within the county organization signals a shift toward self-reliance. If our internal staff is already building direct relationships with agencies like FEMA and HUD, continuing to pay a firm that acts more as a "tour guide" than a strategic partner is an unnecessary drain on public funds.
Restoring Integrity to Procurement: The history of this contract—characterized by behind-the-scenes coordination and a non-competitive, single-source award—was a departure from the transparent processes the public deserves. By issuing this termination notice, the Board now has the opportunity to either bring these functions in-house or initiate a competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) that ensures we get the best possible representation at the best possible price.
Accountability and Engagement: It is telling that no representative from the firm’s nearby Sarasota office appeared to defend their record or the value they provide. A firm that does not show up to advocate for its own contract can hardly be expected to advocate effectively for our county’s complex needs.
Friday, May 15 Report this
andreart
Ballard Partners was so orchestrated. Our county is a little fish in a pond…
Hong’s group was very successful. Jocelyn had/has connections that got Manatee County hundreds of millions over the years
This was another KVO/ Baugh failure. It speaks volumes when this issue is gonna be discussed at the recent county commissioner meeting, no one from Ballard partners showed up. One of their offices is located in Sarasota.
Wednesday, August 5 Report this