50-99 Ordinance AMENDED RECORD OF ORDINANCES
d Dayton Legal Blank Co. Form No. 30043
Ordinance No._________54-99_~Amended) Passed _ _ ___________19________
AN ORDINANCE IMPOSING MANDATORY
CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION LIMITS UPON CANDIDATES
FOR CITY OFFICES
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WHEREAS, large campaign contributions can wield undue influence on the political
system as a whole and, as a result, ordinary voters can be excluded from the process; and
WHEREAS, wealthy candidates can unfairly silence candidates with fewer resources;
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WHEREAS, the high costs of elections can discourage qualified candidates from
~ seeking office, which deprives voters of a full choice of candidates; and
~ WHEREAS, overall, large campaign contributions can undermine the fairness and
integrity of the political system and can cause the public to lose faith in the democratic I
rocess; and ~
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WHEREAS, Council seeks to prevent corruption and the appearance of corruption
spawned by the real or imagined coercive influence of large financial contributions on
candidates' positions and on their actions if elected to office; and
' WHEREAS, under Section 9.03 of the Dublin Charter entitled "Conduct of Elections,"
~ Council is empowered to pass ordinances regulating elections. it
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{ NOW TH BEFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the Council of the City of Dublin, State
of Ohio, of the elected members concurring that:
~ Section 1. Contribution Limitation. No person, corporation, or organization
shall make and no candidate shall accept a contribution of more than one hundred dollars
($100) to any candidate for city elective office.
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Section 2. Application. This ordinance shall apply to all candidates for all j
elected city offices and shall be effective with the 1999 municipal election.
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Section 3. Contribution Definition. Contributions include monies, loans, debts I
incurred, property-in-kind, or things having a monetary value incurred or received by a
candidate or his agent or other person on behalf of the candidate for use in advocating ~
or influencing the election of the candidate.
Section 4. Candidate Resources. The limitations imposed by this ordinance
shall not apply to contributions of a candidate's own resources to the candidate's own
campaign. I
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Section 5. Independent Expenditures. The limitations imposed by this
ordinance shall not apply to independent expenditures. Independent expenditures shall
I mean an expenditure by a person for a communication expressly advocating the support
of or opposition to a clearly identified candidate which is not made with the cooperation
or with the prior consent of, a candidate or his agent or a controlled committee of a
candidate.
Section 6. Penalties. A candidate or person who knowingly refuses or fails to
comply with the requirement in Section 1 above is guilty of a third degree misdemeanor.
S:(DATA\COUNCIURESOLUTI\LEGISLAT. FRZ
RECORD OF ORDINANCES
Dayton Legal Blank Co. Form No. 30043
Ordinance No.______50-99 (Amended) Passed __________________________I9_______
Page Two
Section 7. Return of Contribution. In the event that a candidate returns to its
source any contribution or contributions received from that source in excess of the
' amounts permitted under the provisions of this ordinance within five business days of the
receipt of such excess contribution, such excess contribution shall not be considered to
have been solicited or accepted by such candidate and the candidate will not be liable
under the provisions of this ordinance.
Section 8. This Ordinance shall be effective at the earliest date permitted by law. '
Passed this ~ day of , 1999. i
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Mayor -Presiding Officer
ATTEST:
~l~~~ ~i
Clerk of Council
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F:\szd\DUTEYJ\Dublin\Elections and Ethics Materials\Contribution Limits Ordinance.doc
355050.849
1 hereby ce*t~fv that coe,es of this Ordinance/'Resofutien were poste$ in tfie
Cty of n..'.r., 'n *irrl)rr~~rtie vrith Section 731.25 o'ttte 0!'!so devised Code.
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