Chapter 2.42 — VOLUNTARY EXPENDITURE CEILINGS FOR MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS

(a)

No candidate seeking to be elected to an office of the town and no controlled committee of such candidate shall expend in connection with the election for which said candidate is seeking said office more than fifty cents per resident of the town; provided, however, that the expenditure ceiling established by this section shall be voluntary; and, provided further, that the expenditure ceiling established by this section shall apply to the total amount expended by the candidate and his/her controlled committee.

(b)

Before accepting any campaign contributions for an election for which a candidate is seeking to be elected to an office of the town, each said candidate must file with the town clerk a statement of acceptance or rejection of the voluntary expenditure ceiling established under subsection (a) of this section. The form of said acceptance or rejection shall be prescribed by the town clerk consistent with applicable state law and any regulations promulgated thereunder.

(c)

As to those candidates who accept the voluntary expenditure ceiling established hereby, the town clerk shall cause their identities to be designated on the ballot and in the ballot pamphlet and sample ballot.

(d)

For purposes of this chapter, the number of residents in the town upon which the expenditure ceiling established is based shall be the number of residents of the town as determined in the population report of the state department of finance most recently published prior to the date which is six months before the election to which the expenditure ceiling applies.

(Ord. 815 § 1, 1997; Ord. No. 1019, § 3, 5-3-2022)

(a)

Each time the population report of the state department of finance is published the town clerk shall calculate the total dollar amount a candidate may spend per election in the town under the voluntary expenditure ceiling ("total dollar amount") established pursuant to Section 2.42.010(a) of this chapter. The total dollar amount shall be the sum of the number of residents in the town, as set forth in the applicable population report of the state department of finance, multiplied by the dollar amount of the per resident expenditure ceiling set forth in Section 2.42.010(a) of this chapter. However, in the event said sum is not a multiple of one hundred, the total dollar amount shall be the amount arrived at by rounding said sum up to the next highest one hundred dollar amount. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event shall the total dollar amount exceed the sum of one dollar multiplied by the number of residents in the town.

(b)

The town clerk shall periodically prepare a written document which sets forth the number of residents in the town and the total dollar amount, as calculated pursuant to subsection (a) of this section and shall maintain a copy of said document in the town files. The town clerk shall provide a copy of said document upon request of any person at any time and to each candidate at the time the candidate files his or her statement of acceptance or rejection of the voluntary expenditure ceiling with the town clerk, pursuant to Section 2.42.010(b) of this chapter.

(Ord. 815 § 2, 1997; Ord. No. 1019, § 3, 5-3-2022)