In August of 2018 I introduced a charter amendment to add an additional campaign finance reporting requirement for municipal candidates in Portland. Here's why I did it and what it does.
Back in the spring of 2018, I was approached first by Scott Vonnegut and then by Anna Kellar with a local campaign finance problem. Both Vonnegut and Kellar found fault wit the fact that municipal candidates only had to file two campaign finance reports during the last four months of an election cycle. That, they said, left a big reporting gap leading up to an election.
Vonnegut and Kellar wanted to see that gap closed, and I thought they had a good point. As things stood, municipal candidates were only required to file two reports in an election year: one in July to report any funds raised between January 1st and June 30th, and another in late October, just eleven days before the election.
That meant that there was no reporting during the biggest fundraising period of most municipal election cycles: July 1st to late October. It also meant that absentee balloting regularly began before candidates were required to divulge the majority of their funding sources and how they were spending that money.
Vonnegut and Kellar wanted to see that gap closed, and I thought they had a good point. As things stood, municipal candidates were only required to file two reports in an election year: one in July to report any funds raised between January 1st and June 30th, and another in late October, just eleven days before the election.
That meant that there was no reporting during the biggest fundraising period of most municipal election cycles: July 1st to late October. It also meant that absentee balloting regularly began before candidates were required to divulge the majority of their funding sources and how they were spending that money.
 | Now don't get me wrong. I don't think we have a big problem with dark money funding candidates for city council or the school board here in Portland (although I would like to see 501(c)4 organizations that contribute to political campaigns divulge their funding sources—and soon they may have to). |
But even if we don't have a problem now, I don't think it's healthy to have an opaque system of campaign finance reporting, which is what we had when there were no requirements for fundraising disclosures during the apex of campaign season.
That's why I wrote the amendment and proposed it to the Council.
I'm pleased to say the amendment was placed on the November 2018 ballot with a unanimous vote from the Council. And I'm even more pleased to say that it passed with the approval of 78% of Portland's voters.
So this year, 2019, as we look to elect two councilors, three school board members, and a mayor, every candidate will be required to file an additional finance report by September 24th which includes all income and expenditures between July 1st and September 17th. And I think that's a good thing.
Big thanks to Scott Vonnegut and Anna Kellar for bringing the issue forward. And, as always, thanks to Corporation Counsel's office for offering advice on how to craft the amendment and making sure it was legal.
That's why I wrote the amendment and proposed it to the Council.
I'm pleased to say the amendment was placed on the November 2018 ballot with a unanimous vote from the Council. And I'm even more pleased to say that it passed with the approval of 78% of Portland's voters.
So this year, 2019, as we look to elect two councilors, three school board members, and a mayor, every candidate will be required to file an additional finance report by September 24th which includes all income and expenditures between July 1st and September 17th. And I think that's a good thing.
Big thanks to Scott Vonnegut and Anna Kellar for bringing the issue forward. And, as always, thanks to Corporation Counsel's office for offering advice on how to craft the amendment and making sure it was legal.
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