Division IV — EXPENDITURE CEILINGS AND MATCHING FUNDS

No candidate for office who files a statement of acceptance of expenditure ceilings nor any controlled committee of such a candidate shall make qualified campaign expenditures above the following amounts and subject to the following restrictions:

A.

Except as otherwise provided herein, a candidate for City Council may not spend more than forty thousand dollars ($40,000.00) in the primary or more than twenty thousand dollars ($20,000.00) in the runoff election to be eligible for matching funds.

In order to qualify for matching funds, a City Council candidate: (a) must raise at least five thousand dollars ($5,000.00) in contributions of two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00) or less within the election cycle, of which only up to the first one hundred dollars ($100.00) from each contributor may be counted for purposes of

achieving the qualifying total of five thousand dollars ($5,000.00); and (b) must be opposed by a candidate who has qualified for matching funds or who has raised ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00).

The maximum available matching funds shall be an amount not to exceed thirty-three percent (33%) of the maximum amount permitted for expenditure in the primary and fifty percent (50%) of the maximum amount permitted for expenditure in the runoff election.

During each election cycle, the City Clerk shall, immediately following the final day for filing nominating petitions for the office of City Councilmember, ascertain: (a) the number of registered voters in each councilmanic district as of the final day for filing; and (b) the mean number of voters in all such districts. Thereafter, and for the ensuing election cycle, in each district where the number of registered voters exceeds the mean, the expenditure limitations of forty thousand dollars ($40,000.00) and twenty thousand dollars ($20,000.00) shall be increased two dollars ($2.00) and one dollar ($1.00), respectively, for each registered voter in excess of the mean.

B.

A candidate for City Attorney, City Auditor or City Prosecutor may not spend more than one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00) in the primary or more than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00) in the runoff election. In order to qualify for matching funds, such a candidate:

Must raise at least ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00) in contributions of three hundred fifty dollars ($350.00) or less within the election cycle, of which such contributions, only up to the first one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00) from each contributor, may be counted for purposes of achieving the qualifying total of ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00); and

Must be opposed by a candidate who has qualified for matching funds or who has raised twenty thousand dollars ($20,000.00). The maximum available matching funds shall be an amount not to exceed thirty-three percent (33%) of the maximum amount permitted for expenditure in the primary and fifty percent (50%) of the maximum amount permitted for expenditure in the runoff election.

C.

A candidate for Mayor may not spend more than two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000.00) in the primary or more than one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00) in the runoff election to be eligible for matching funds. In order to qualify for matching funds, such a candidate:

Must raise at least twenty thousand dollars ($20,000.00) in contributions of five hundred dollars ($500.00) or less within the election cycle, of which such contributions, only up to the first two hundred dollars ($200.00)

from each contributor may be counted for the purpose of achieving the qualifying total of twenty thousand dollars ($20,000.00); and

Must be opposed by a candidate who has qualified for matching funds or who has raised forty thousand dollars ($40,000.00). The maximum available matching funds shall be an amount not to exceed thirty-three percent (33%) of the maximum amount permitted for expenditure in the primary and fifty percent (50%) of the maximum amount permitted for expenditure in the runoff election.

D.

It is the intent of Subsections 2.01.410.A, 2.01.410.B and 2.01.410.C of this Section that candidates who qualify for matching funds in primary elections shall receive one dollar ($1.00) in matching funds for every two dollars ($2.00) raised through contributions and that candidates who qualify for matching funds in runoff elections shall receive one dollar ($1.00) in matching funds for every one dollar ($1.00) raised through contributions.

E.

Any candidate who has filed a statement of acceptance of the expenditure ceilings and desires to apply for matching funds may submit such application to the City Clerk on any normal business day between January 1 of an odd-numbered year through December 31 of the following year.

F.

Any candidate applying for matching funds must be current in his or her campaign statement filings with the City Clerk.

G.

A candidate wishing to apply for matching funds may submit such application with the City Clerk no more frequently than every ten (10) business days.

H.

The expenditure limits set forth in this Section shall not apply to candidates for office in any special election, nor shall such candidates be eligible for matching funds.

(ORD-23-0049 § 3(Exh. A), 2023; Ord. C-7661 § 3, 1999: Ord. C-7283 § 1, 1994; Prop. M, 6-7-94, eff. 6-24- 94)

For purposes of the expenditure ceilings, qualified campaign expenditures made at any time up to the date of the primary election shall be considered an expenditure for that election, and qualified campaign expenditures made after the date of the primary election shall be considered expenditures for the runoff (general) election. However, in the event that payments are made but the goods or services are not used during the period purchased, the payments shall be considered qualified campaign expenditures for the

time period in which they are used. Payments for goods and services used in both periods shall be prorated.

(ORD-14-0020 § 5, 2014; Ord. C-7283 § 1, 1994; Prop. M, 6-7-94, eff. 6-24-94)