Thomas' office issued a "request for proposals" for its own lobbyist, even though Salt Lake County already has a lobbyist. The RFP required that the lobbyist be a certified public accountant, which fit nicely the credentials of lobbyist David Stewart, the Salt Lake County Republican Party vice chairman who worked on Thomas' campaign and is the grandson and partner of veteran lobbyists Cap and Sue Ferry.

Spencer Stokes and Dix McMullin, two other established lobbyists, couldn't see a $25,000 government contract pass by without a fight. Each partnered with CPAs to fit the criteria and submitted competing bids.

Friday, the bid committee awarded the contract to Stewart and the Ferrys. But when Thomas revealed he had received a campaign contribution last fall from Sue Ferry, the award had to be voided.

An ethics reform ordinance, passed in December by the County Council, prohibits the award of a county contract to anyone who contributed to a county candidate within the previous six months.

Thomas now is scrapping the lobbyist plan, ignoring the two other bidders since, he says, Stokes lobbies for the Utah Transit Authority and McMullin represents cities within the county, both possible conflicts of interest.

Tetris, Salt Lake County's longtime lobbyist, also represents cities within the county and the Ferrys represent the Utah Hotel and Lodging Association, which figures to conflict with the county this year over proposed hotel tax hikes.

No room at the inn: Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson thought he was speaking at the Martin Luther King Human Rights Commission's luncheon Jan. 14.

Not.

When Anderson's aide called commission program director Michael Styles the day before the luncheon to firm up the details, Styles said Utah first lady Mary Kaye Huntsman was speaking instead.

Anderson's assistant, Christy Cordwell, wrote in a letter the next day to Phyllis Caruth, the commission's chairwoman, that she personally confirmed to Styles in November that Anderson would speak. But Styles says he never got a definite RSVP. "It was a misunderstanding and I expressed my sincere apology."

Yet Styles' perceived snub of a Democrat raised a few eyebrows. He recently slammed the Democratic Party when he resigned as Black Democratic Caucus chairman.

Clueless in Farmington: When the Davis County Commission distributed "I (Heart) Davis County" bumper stickers at its meeting Tuesday in response to Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson's complaints that Davis commuters pollute Salt Lake City's air, Commissioner Dan McConkie later whined about a lack of parking at the Legislature. He complained that a parking lot at the Capitol reserved for interns was usually empty because interns take the bus.

Apparently, it never occurred to him that Davis County residents also could take the bus.

prolly@sltrib.com