San Francisco County Municipal Code § 1.148 Restrictions

PUBLIC FUNDS. (a) USE FOR QUALIFIED CAMPAIGN EXPENDITURES ONLY. Candidates who receive public financing may use the public funds solely to pay for qualified campaign expenditures and to repay loans used to pay for qualified campaign expenditures except that public funds may be used to pay filing fees and costs incurred after the election that do not directly affect the outcome of the election, including but not limited to utility bills, expenses associated with an audit, and expenses related to preparing post-election campaign finance disclosure reports as required by the California Political Reform Act, Government Code Section 81000, et seq., and the provisions of this Chapter. Candidates may not use public funds to pay for expenses incurred in connection with an administrative or judicial proceeding. Candidates may not use public funds to pay administrative, civil or criminal fines, including late filing fines, or to pay for inaugural activities or officeholder expenses. Candidates may not use public funds to pay post-election bonuses to campaign employees or for election victory celebrations or similar post-election campaign events. (b) WITHDRAWAL OR FAILURE TO QUALIFY. Any candidate who receives public financing but who withdraws or fails to qualify to have his or her name printed on the ballot in the election for which the public funds were provided shall repay the Election Campaign Fund the full sum received from the Fund. (c) UNEXPENDED PUBLIC FUNDS. Any candidate who receives public financing and whose committee has unexpended public funds shall pay to the City and County of San Francisco and deliver to the Ethics Commission those funds for deposit in the Election Campaign Fund no later than 30 days after the Ethics Commission completes its audit of the candidate's committee. Unexpended funds may be used to pay for expenses associated with an audit such as bank fees, treasurer fees and storage fees until the Ethics Commission completes its audit of the candidate's committee. (Added by Proposition O, 11/7/2000; amended by Ord. 141-03, File No. 030034, App. 6/27/2003; Ord. 31-06, File No. 051773, App. 2/23/2006; Ord. 228-06, File No. 060501, App. 9/14/2006; Ord. 268-07, File No. 071003, App. 11/26/2007; Ord. 234-09, File. No. 090989, App. 11/20/2009)