During his campaign for city commissioner, Sam Adams pledged to increase transparency at city hall by imposing stricter regulations on lobbyists—making sure they report on who is doing the lobbying and why.

In October, after months of circulating drafts, Adams was set to introduce his proposal to the council for a vote. But before that could happen, Commissioner Randy Leonard presented his own plan—one modeled after the regulations in the state legislature, which are far less strict than Adams’ ideas.

Adams’ proposal would require anyone spending more than 16 hours a quarter lobbying the city to report certain information to the public. This information would be supplied on a quarterly basis, and would include whom they are lobbying (including bureau managers and staff), what they are lobbying about, and how much money was spent.

By contrast, Leonard’s plan only requires annual reporting, and how much money was spent. Further, lobbyists won’t be required to report the subject of their efforts or whom they are lobbying.

“My concern is that Sam made it so complex that it is inevitable someone will slip up,” Leonard told the Mercury, adding that he also opposes Adams’ exemption of neighborhood associations from registering as lobbyists.

The other key difference between the two plans: Adams would require that city officials post their calendars online for public access—Leonard would not. Leonard said his reluctance was primarily for security reasons, and agreed to post his calendar of events after they happen.

Surprisingly, despite his campaign for community involvement in city decisions, Mayor Tom Potter has expressed interest in pursuing Leonard’s plan instead of Adams’. The offices of both commissioners were expected to meet in the next couple of weeks to discuss a possible compromise. If one isn’t reached, both plans may make their way to council chambers for a vote.

Commissioner Erik Sten says he would support Adams’ plan—leaving Commissioner Dan Saltzman as the swing vote. At press time, it wasn’t clear which plan Saltzman would endorse.