How lobbying works in NYC

Influencing the way politicians vote is a big business.

Last year alone, clients in New York City spent a total $102.6 million to help your elected officials make up their minds on anything from major development projects to whether LinkNYC kiosks are too close to bus stops.

RELATED: New York City’s 10 biggest lobbying spenders

The New York City clerk’s annual lobbying report provides some insight into how lobbyists influence government, and who they’re working for.

CLIENT INDUSTRIES

Who owns this town? Real estate does – and they do it with lobbyists. A whopping 41 percent of clients looking to lobby lawmakers are in the business of building.

GOVERNMENT ENTITIES TARGETED

Next, when lobbyists want to get clients’ message into officials’ ears, whose ears are those, exactly? By far the largest single group is members of the New York City Council.

GOVERNMENT ACTIONS TARGETED

Now that we know who’s doing the messaging and who they want to reach, what is it they want to influence? Local legislation is a substantial piece, but far and away the biggest chunk goes toward deciding what makes it into the city budget.