AGENDA ITEM EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
ITEM TITLE*
title
Campaign Contribution Limitations Discussion
presenter
RESPONSIBLE STAFF, TITLE, DEPARTMENT*
Brittney Hunt, Town Clerk, Town Clerk’s Office
STAFF RECOMMENDATION*
Staff recommends that Council provide direction on how the Town should calculate municipal campaign contribution limits in future even-numbered years. No action is requested tonight. Following Council’s discussion, staff will return with an ordinance amendment reflecting Council’s chosen approach.
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ACTION/DECISION POINTS*
Council is asked to discuss and provide policy direction on the preferred formula for adjusting campaign contribution limits going forward. Options include:
• Maintaining the current formula (CPI + voter adjustment)
• Using CPI only
• Requesting staff to explore a different formula
Staff will place the resulting ordinance amendment on the September 9, 2026 consent agenda unless Council prefers another timeline.
LEGISLATIVE CONTEXT*
Town Ordinance Section 2-73 establishes Chapel Hill’s municipal campaign disclosure and contribution limits. These limits are adjusted every even-numbered year. Historically, as documented in the Town’s prior ordinances, the formula required adjustments based on:
• The change in CPI since January 1 of the prior even‑numbered year; and
• The number of active registered Chapel Hill voters relative to a statutory base of 40,000 voters.
BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT*
Since 1999, Chapel Hill has maintained its own contribution limits under special legislation, setting lower caps than state law. As reflected in the Town’s enacted ordinances, the most recent limits adopted for the 2024 cycle were $367.00 maximum contribution and $38.00 nondisclosure threshold.
In April 2026, the Town Clerk prepared updated limits using the traditional CPI-plus-voter formula which set the maximum individual contribution at $353.00 and the contribution disclosure exemption at $37.00. Before adoption, Council requested that the item be removed from the agenda to allow time for staff to evaluate an alternative method based solely on CPI adjustments. This request was associated with an inquiry about ensuring that contribution limits increase predictably with inflation and do not fluctuate downward in response to changes in active voter registration counts.
ATTACHMENTS
Draft Staff Presentation
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