Richmond Municipal Code Ch. 2.43 Matching Public Funding of Richmond Election Campaigns

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Source: Ordinance No. 18-03 N.S.

The increasing costs of conducting election campaigns increasingly places pressure on candidates for Richmond City office to seek more and larger campaign contributions. Large campaign contributions have the possibility of causing corruption, or the appearance of corruption. In order to protect candidates and the integrity of our local election process from the adverse effects of huge, unlimited independent expenditure campaigns, and in order to encourage candidates to seek City office without relying on large campaign contributions, this chapter establishes matching public funding of Richmond mayoral and council campaigns, for the years in which the City Council has appropriated such funds in the City's annual budget allocation process.

(Amended by Ordinance No. 3-09)

(Ord. No. 07-12 N.S., § 1, 7-24-2012; Ord. No. 10-14 N.S., § 1, 5-20-2014; Ord. No. 16-20 N.S., § I, 7-7-2020)

A candidate for Mayor and City Council of the City of Richmond shall be considered a "qualified candidate" and shall be approved to receive public matching funds if the candidate meets all of the following requirements: and, if and only if, the City Council of the City of Richmond has appropriated and allocated campaign matching funds when it adopts the City's annual budget.

(1) The candidate files the following "public funding request" with the City Clerk:

"I request public matching funds for my campaign and agree to the City of Richmond's conditions and requirements on the use of such funds."

(2) The candidate is certified to appear on the ballot for the election for which matching funds are sought and the candidate is opposed by at least one other certified candidate for the same office.

(3) The total amount of contributions accepted by the candidate in connection with the election for which matching funds are sought shall not exceed $75,000.00. Any candidate who accepts contributions in excess of $75,000.00 shall no longer be considered a "qualified candidate" and shall return all matching funds previously received, pursuant to Section 2.43.050.

(Amended by Ordinance No. 3-09)

(Ord. No. 07-12 N.S., § 1, 7-24-2012; Ord. No. 10-14 N.S., § 1, 5-20-2014; Ord. No. 16-20 N.S., § I, 7-7-2020)

(a) Matchable contributions are those contributions disclosed on the candidate's regular pre-election campaign disclosure statements required by the State of California and the City of Richmond disclosure statement which is due on the last Friday before the election. Disclosures required by the State of California for late, large contributions do not increase or decrease the match, i.e., the match is based solely on the disclosures in the regular pre-election campaign statements.

(b) Loans and in-kind contributions do not qualify as matchable contributions, nor do contributions received prior to July 1 of the year in which the election is held.

(c) Once the City Council has appropriated and allocated campaign matching funds as part of the City's annual budget and a candidate becomes a "qualified candidate," the City Clerk shall disburse funds to qualified candidates as follows:

(1) When $10,000.00 in total matchable contributions are disclosed—disburse $2,500.00.

(2) When $15,000.00 in total matchable contributions are disclosed—disburse $2,500.00.

(3) When $20,000.00 in total matchable contributions are disclosed—disburse $2,500.00.

(4) When $25,000.00 in total matchable contributions are disclosed—disburse $2,500.00.

(5) When $30,000.00 in total matchable contributions are disclosed—disburse $2,500.00.

(c) Accordingly, the limit per candidate is $12,500.00 in matching funds per election. The City Clerk shall make every reasonable effort to have the check available for the candidate to pick up at the City Clerk's office at noon three business days after the filing deadline. If campaign disclosure statements are filed late, the candidate has to wait for the next filing statement to receive matching funds. If the final statement is filed late, the candidate does not get matching funds for that statement.

(Amended by Ordinance No. 3-09)

(Ord. No. 07-12 N.S., § 1, 7-24-2012; Ord. No. 10-14 N.S., § 1, 5-20-2014; Ord. No. 16-20 N.S., § I, 7-7-2020)

Public matching funds may only be used for lawful qualified campaign expenditures incurred by a candidate during the election for which the funds were allocated.

(Amended by Ordinance No. 3-09)

(Ord. No. 07-12 N.S., § 1, 7-24-2012; Ord. No. 10-14 N.S., § 1, 5-20-2014; Ord. No. 16-20 N.S., § I, 7-7-2020)

Editor's note— Ord. No. 16-20 N.S., § I, adopted July 7, 2020, repealed § 2.43.050, which pertained to the return of matching funds and derived from Ord. No. 07-12 N.S., § 1, adopted July 24, 2012; and Ord. No. 10-14 N.S., § 1, adopted May 20, 2014.