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Amend Chapter 2, Article IV, Section 2-72 of the Town Code of Ordinances Regarding Campaign Contribution Limitations.
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Staff: |
Department: |
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Sabrina Oliver, Director |
Governance Services |
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Matt DeBellis, Assistant Town Clerk |
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Overview: The Town established campaign contribution limits in 1999 pursuant to special legislation enacted by the General Assembly. Chapter 2, Article IV, of the Town Code of Ordinances limits the amount of money that an individual or a political committee can contribute to a Mayor or Town Council candidate’s campaign. The Ordinance also establishes a maximum contribution that can be made without disclosing the contributor’s name in municipal campaign reports. Ordinance Section 2-73 <https://library.municode.com/nc/chapel_hill/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=CO_CH2AD_ARTIVCADICOLI_S2-73ADCRDICOLICO> requires that these amounts be adjusted during even-numbered years and provides criteria for making these adjustments based on the number of Town of Chapel Hill registered voters and changes in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) since January 1st of the prior even-numbered year. The adjustments proposed for tonight, if enacted, will apply to the 2025 municipal campaigns.
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Recommendation(s): |
That the Council enact the attached ordinance to increase the municipal campaign maximum contribution to $367.00 and the contribution disclosure exemption to $38.00 as required by ordinance.
Background:
• In 2023, the maximum amount that an individual or political committee could donate to a municipal candidate’s campaign was $357.00 and the names of contributors donating $37.00 or less were exempt from disclosure in campaign reports.
• Council established the 2023 amounts on April 27, 2022 <https://chapelhill.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=5561918&GUID=26B855AA-9A81-41D8-8A59-9E6679CE45A9>.
Decision Points:
• Based on data obtained for January 2024 (as required by Sec. 2-73 of the Town Code), the CPI change since January 2022 is 12.72% and active voter registration for the Town of Chapel Hill is 35,412
• The CPI Change is up from the 4.54% change used for the last round of adjustments. The Base Voters amount is up from the prior amount of 35,209.
• Based on the adjustment criteria established in Ordinance Sec. 2-73, maximum contribution and disclosure exemption amounts for the 2025 municipal campaigns should be increased to $367.00 and $38.00, respectively.
Fiscal Impact/Resources: None to the Town
Where is this item in this process?
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Attachments: |
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• Ordinance |
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• Disclosure and Contribution Adjustments Worksheet |
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE DISCLOSURE EXEMPTION AND MAXIMUM CONTRIBUTION LIMITS IN CHAPTER 2, ARTICLE IV OF THE TOWN CODE OF ORDINANCES AS REQUIRED BY ORDINANCE (2024-04-24/O-1)
WHEREAS, Chapter 2, Article IV, Campaign Disclosure and Contribution Limitations of the Town Code of Ordinances limits the amount of money that an individual or a political committee can contribute to a Mayor or Town Council candidate’s campaign; and
WHEREAS, Chapter 2, Article IV further limits the amount that an individual or a political committee can contribute to a Mayor or Town Council candidate’s campaign without disclosing the contributor’s name in municipal campaign reports filed in accordance with Chapter 163, Article 22A, Part 2 of the North Carolina General Statutes; and
WHEREAS, Chapter 2, Article IV further requires that these amounts be adjusted during even-numbered years and provides criteria for making these adjustments based on changes in the Consumer Price Index since January 1 of the prior even-numbered year and the number of Town of Chapel Hill registered voters.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council amend Chapter 2, Article IV of the Code of Ordinances of the Town of Chapel Hill as follows:
Section 1. Sec. 2-71. - Disclosure of contributors, subsection (b), is amended to read as follows:
“(b) Names of contributors of amounts thirty-seven dollars ($37.00) thirty-eight dollars ($38.00) or less are exempt from the requirements of this section.”
Section 2. Sec. 2-72. - Limitation on contributions, is amended to read as follows:
“Except as provided by N.C.G.S. 163-278.13(d), no individual or political committee shall contribute to any candidate, or political committee of a candidate, any money or make any other contribution in any town municipal election in excess of three hundred and fifty- seven dollars ($357.00) three hundred and sixty-seven dollars ($367.00) for that election.”
Section 3. This Ordinance shall be effective upon enactment.
This the 24th day of April, 2024.
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The Agenda will reflect the text below and/or the motion text will be used during the meeting. |
presenter
By enacting the ordinance, the Council increases the municipal campaign maximum contribution to $367.00 and the contribution disclosure exemption to $38.00 as required by ordinance.