Lobbying and lobbyists have been around politics for an exceedingly long time, seeking to influence elections and public spending.

In 64 BC in ancient Rome, Cicero ran for the office of Consul. His younger brother wrote a guide to winning elections—practical suggestions to attain victory. His rules included: 1) promise everything to everybody; 2) always be seen in public surrounded by your most passionate supporters; 3) remind voters of your opponents' sex scandals.

The world's first political consultant had spoken. How much has changed?

The anecdote comes from Fareed Zakaria's newest book, "Age of Revolutions." (A fascinating read, by the way).

Lobbyists and political consultants have always been around federal, provincial, state, and other large governments. They have been active and apparent in large cities in Canada. Now, there has been a greater influence in medium sized cities.

Whether councils are establishing a code of conduct for lobbyists, a registration at city hall, or another method of regulating the contact and influence they may have with elected officials and senior administrators is increasingly problematic.

Municipalities in Canada collectively spend tens of billions of dollars every year. Much of that is for new or refurbished infrastructure. The civic contracts stretch into the tens, sometimes hundreds, of millions of dollars.  They are a lucrative part of any company's business.

Let's be clear—most contracts with municipalities are upfront, legal, and awarded in an open process. But, and here's the kicker, a few are not.

There have been reports lately about allegations of influence pedaling, bribes to government officials, and overcharging the local government. Millions of dollars have been involved in these capers. The public purse is always the loser, along with the culprits involved.

Lengthy and ugly trials occur. The public asks, "Why wasn't anybody at city hall (or a hospital board, or a board of education, or others) watching this? How could it have happened? Where were the auditors and the Audit Committee? Why did we elect such apparent idiots? Doesn't anybody care about our tax dollars?"

Everybody at the place of the crime loses whether they were involved or not.

Demanding a registry for any/all contacts between city hall councillors and senior staff and local community leaders who are also businesspeople or do business with the municipality is difficult. All cities have a comparatively small circle of leaders, and they often meet socially at charity dinners and public and private events. Sometimes friendships go back many decades. Families socialize. It can be hard to draw lines.

Often it is the small things that come back to be a problem—free tickets to a hockey game, or picking up a bar tab. The public relates to these things.

And hovering over all of it are the immortal words of Cicero's brother. Some things never change.