The thing about regional governments of all sizes, shapes, locales, and influence, is that these governments typically have a fairly sizeable amount of monies that they are responsible to utilize accordingly with their budget and thus see spent and expended upon those necessary things that are of the most benefit for their constituents. When it comes to corporations, however, they are forever attempting to do what they believe needs to be so done, that will serve to increase their profit, continue their growth, and to benefit their board of directors, as well as their shareholders. In other words, when it comes to government agencies that are responsible for how the public funds are expended, they need to be responsible to the people; whereas, corporations are typically only interested in what benefits them, as a corporation.
Not too surprisingly, when it comes to conducting business within the domain of a governmental sphere, corporations are going to be prone to doing those things that will help them to get what they want, fairly or unfairly, when so interacting with governmental officials. In other words, corporations, understand that they often have leverage in regards to governmental officials in the sense that governments of all types, are interested in securing or enhancing private business investment into their respective communities. Further to the point, corporations are often not completely tied down to having to do business in one particular community, but frequently have options of not only where their business will be conducted, but also how much investment that they will put into a given community. This thus opens the door, to the competitive threat, so initiated by corporations, that if they will not get special privileges, tax set asides, infrastructure enhancements, or consideration of this or that, by that respective government, that they may well pack up and leave, or simply not engage or re-invest in business within that particular community location.
So too, certain corporations can be even more direct when dealing with governmental officials, by initiating, for instance, some sort of implicit quid pro quo, in which those that are government officials that should answer to the public and be open to that public about those things of public interest and pertinence, are offered by that corporation, indirectly or directly, the opportunity to be compensated by that corporation, in some future form, which is often implied, but never officially agreed upon. Indeed, corporations want to have their way, and when about the only thing blocking their way, is some governmental official, who may not fully understand what a good bargain is or is not, and is not privy to the inner communications of that corporation, then through their superior knowledge and gamesmanship that the corporation has, they are often able to accomplish what they so desire, at terms that are primarily beneficial to them; of which, this favoritism, typically, is not readily available for any other persons or companies, that are not so well positioned.
Those then that are public servants need to make it their point and principle to serve the public, which is best accomplished by being as transparent as possible, which, at a minimum, provides the public with the needed insight to see and to understand the deals so being made with influential corporations.