AGENDA ITEM EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
ITEM TITLE*
title
Town Code Chapter 2, Article IV Amendment: Campaign Contribution Limitations
presenter
RESPONSIBLE STAFF, TITLE, DEPARTMENT*
Brittney Hunt, Town Clerk, Town Clerk’s Office
STAFF RECOMMENDATION*
Staff recommends that Council enact the attached ordinance to decrease the municipal campaign maximum contribution to $353.00 and the contribution disclosure exemption to $37.00, as required by Town Code Section 2-73, using the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and voter registration adjustment calculations.
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ACTION/DECISION POINTS*
Council must approve or reject the updated campaign contribution limits derived from the biennial CPI and active voter registration calculations, which will apply to the 2027 municipal campaigns.
LEGISLATIVE CONTEXT*
Town Code Section 2-73 requires that the Town adjust its municipal campaign contribution limits every even-numbered year based on:
• The change in the CPI since January 1 of the prior even-numbered year.
• The number of active registered Chapel Hill voters compared to the statutory base of 40,000 voters.
BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT*
The Town established its own local contribution limits in 1999 under special legislation, placing stricter caps on contributions to Mayor and Council candidates than the statewide limits. Council last adopted updated contribution limits for the 2024 cycle, setting the maximum contribution at $367.00 and the nondisclosure threshold at $38.00. Pursuant to the biennial adjustment process, staff prepared the CPI and voter adjustment calculations.
Based on data obtained for January 2026, the CPI change since January 2024 is 6.38% and active voter registration for Chapel Hill is 35,532.
ATTACHMENTS
Ordinance
Disclosure and Contribution Adjustments Worksheet
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