DEPARTMENT: City Auditor's Office
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Kevin Barthold, City Auditor
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: City Wide
SUBJECT:
Campaign contribution limits and disclosure of donor's principal occupation, job title and employer for contributions to Mayor and City Council campaigns.
SUMMARY:
The Campaign Finance Task Force makes two recommendations as follows: (1) increase campaign contribution limits for Mayor and City Council elections and (2) require principal occupation, job title and employer disclosure of donor if the donor's contribution equals or exceeds $100.00.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Municipal Campaign contribution limits have been in place since the adoption of the Campaign Finance Code in 2004. The Campaign Finance Task Force was formed by Mayor Ron Nirenberg on March 21, 2018 in response to a recommendation by the City's Ethics Review Board. The Task Force was charged with reviewing whether campaign contribution limits should be raised, and whether principal occupation, job title and employer disclosures should be required. Upon finalizing its recommendations, the Task Force was also charged with presenting its recommendations to the Governance Committee.
ISSUE:
The Task Force was tasked with researching and making recommendations on the following two questions:
(1) Whether to raise campaign contribution limits, and if so, by how much; and
(2) Whether to require a candidate/officeholder donor to disclose the donor principal occupation, job title and his or her employer and occupation, and if so, at what contribution amount.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Governance Committee may elect not to raise campaign contribution limits and/or to require donor principal occupation, job title and employer disclosure for Mayor and City Council elections.
FISCAL IMPACT:
None.
RECOMMENDATION:
The Campaign Finance Task Force recommends that the Municipal Campaign Finance Code be amended to require a candidate or officeholder to disclose on Campaign F...
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