Salt Lake City is expected to hire a Republican and a Democrat to lobby the 2005 Legislature. City Council Chairwoman Jill Remington Love sent a letter to Mayor Rocky Anderson on Monday authorizing him to pay former Senate majority leader Craig Peterson $20,000 to $25,000. The Republican will be the city's lead contract lobbyist. Former Mayor Ted Wilson, a Democrat, will earn $15,000. The two will focus on helping Salt Lake County gain the ability to raise taxes to expand the Salt Palace and on Redevelopment Agency issues. The men might also collaborate with others to lobby for hate crimes legislation and legislation to remove a tire-recycling plant from a west-side neighborhood, but only if those efforts don't interfere with work on the Salt Palace. Anderson has tried to persuade council members to also allow the lobbyists to seek legislation to permit cities to ticket speeders using photo radar. But not enough council members agree. Anderson will lobby the council again tonight at a City Council meeting. The city will be hiring Peterson and Wilson without seeking bids. To do so, Anderson must formally waive the bidding requirements, which he is allowed to do by city ordinance. Love said that council members and the mayor "talked through" various lobbyists and settled on Peterson and Wilson. They wanted a Republican because the Legislature is controlled by that party. And Wilson "has a good understanding of local issues." She said concerns haven't been raised about Anderson hiring Wilson, the mayor's friend and political adviser. "Ted's well-liked and well-connected," Love said. - Heather May