Lack of lobbying disclosure for $15 million Mooresville road leads to policy change
No surprises.
That’s the intent of a new N.C. Association of Regional Councils of Governments policy regarding any lobbyists it hires.
It was adopted after one of its member councils accepted $15 million in state money on behalf of a developer building a road in Mooresville — without knowing its lobbyist represented the developer too.
The News & Observer in October revealed the lack of disclosure to the Centralina Regional Council, as part of an investigation into an appropriation involving an interconnected group of lawmakers, lobbyists and insiders.
That lobbyist, Chris Wall of EQV Strategic in Raleigh, continues to represent the association, said David Richardson, chairman of its executive committee. But the association passed a policy late last year to make sure potential conflicts get disclosed, he said.
A copy of the association’s latest agreement with Wall, dated Dec. 1, includes conflict of interest disclosure provisions. A lobbyist “will promptly disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest that arise during the course of work with NCARCOG, including engagements that may overlap or appear to overlap with NCARCOG’s interests,” it states.
“As an association, we felt like we needed to have clearer parameters on the relationship,” said Richardson, who is also executive director of the Lumber River Council of Governments.
Council was in the dark
Centralina is one of 16 regional councils of government in the state that assist with dispersing federal and state money into communities for economic development, social services and other community needs. Its territory includes Mecklenburg and eight surrounding counties.
Wall is a longtime state lobbyist with more than 30 clients, including prominent companies such as KPMG and Wawa. Centralina had contracted with him beginning in 2021.
But in 2024, Wall did not inform Centralina that he had another client, Mooresville BTR, that stood to receive $15 million from the council through an unusual grant that was in the final version of the 2023 state budget.
Geraldine Gardner, Centralina’s executive director, and executive board member Martha Sue Hall both told The N&O last fall that Wall should have disclosed the Mooresville developer was a client.
This month, Centralina registered a new lobbyist to handle its state government matters: Sarah Wills Prencipe of the Lumen Strategies firm in Concord. Wills has been lobbying since 2023, state records show, and listed one other client, the City of Hickory.
Gardner declined in an email response to The N&O to explain why her council changed lobbyists. Minutes from its executive board show its members were asked to evaluate candidates for the job in November.
Hall said in a phone interview Monday that the board was asked for comments on two finalists, but the choice was left with Gardner.
“I don’t remember any discussion about why,” said Hall, a longtime Albemarle city councilor and Stanly County commissioner. “It just appeared that it was time to do it again.”
Wall is registered as a lobbyist for three other regional councils of government and the N.C. Association of Regional Councils of Governments. He did not respond to requests for comments on changes by the statewide group or Centralina.