(a) One Candidate Finance Committee. Each candidate shall establish no more than one Candidate Finance Committee and shall appoint a treasurer who shall not be the candidate.
(b) Measure Finance Committee. Each Measure Finance Committee shall appoint a treasurer who shall not be the chairperson.
(c) One Bank Account Filing Requirements.
1. Each candidate or the candidate's treasurer and each Measure Finance Committee shall establish one and only one campaign bank checking account for each election. The City Clerk shall issue a form to be submitted by campaigns and committees disclosing bank account information.
2. All contributions of monies received for the benefit of the candidate's campaign or the Measure Finance Committee shall be deposited in that account, and all disbursements shall be made from that account.
3. Each candidate and Measure Finance Committee shall submit monthly bank statements reflecting the previous month’s activities directly to the Campaign and Election Auditor by the second Monday of each month. Monthly bank statements shall be submitted each month for the duration of the election cycle as long as the campaign or committee is required to file a report pursuant to Article XIII Section 4(d)(2)(F) or (G).
4. Upon the request of the Clerk, each candidate, the candidate's treasurer, or the chairperson or treasurer of each Measure Finance Committee shall provide to the Clerk all bank records, canceled checks, and any other financial information relating to the campaign as may be requested by the Clerk.
(d) Disclosure of Campaign Financing.
1. Each candidate for the office of Mayor or Councilor and each Measure Finance Committee, shall file with the City Clerk the statements required in Section 4(c)2 of this Election Code, each of which shall be cumulative, signed under oath by the candidate or the candidate's treasurer or by the chairperson or treasurer of the Measure Finance Committee, setting forth through 5:00 p.m. of the day preceding the filing of each statement:
A. The total of all contributions, which shall include all contributions received, regardless of whether the contribution has been deposited in the candidate's or Measure Finance Committee's campaign bank account. A contribution is deemed received when a candidate or a Measure Finance Committee or any agent of a candidate or a Measure Finance Committee receives a contribution or the benefit of the services donated.
B. When the contributor is an individual, the name and address of the contributor, the contributor's principal business or occupation, the name and address of the contributor's employer, if self-employed, the address of the contributor's business, and the nature of the contributor's or the contributor's employer's business. If the contributor is retired or not employed, the residential address of the contributor shall be disclosed. When the contributor is an entity other than an individual, the name and address of the contributor, the business or activities conducted by the contributor and the owners and managers of the contributor. The amount of each contribution and the cumulative value of all contributions contributed by the contributor shall be disclosed. Measure Finance Committees that support or oppose more than one candidate or measure shall specify in separate sections in each disclosure statement the candidate or measure to which each contribution and expenditure applies. In the event a contribution or expenditure applies to more than one candidate or measure, the pro rata share of such contribution or expenditure shall be clearly identified for each candidate or measure.
C. All expenditures made on behalf of the campaign, including any reimbursements and the nature thereof, and the name and address of the person or business to which payment was made.
A. Reporting of expenditures shall include for each expenditure including type and quantity of items purchased, names and roles of staff paid, names of companies and materials produced, etc.
B. The Campaign and Election Auditor, as provided for in Article XIII, Section 9 shall, at their discretion, request additional details of expenditures or contributions.
D. A person seeking to qualify to be on the ballot for the office of Mayor or Councilor shall include any person who has obtained a nominating petition form approved by the City Clerk, or who has received or solicited contributions or made expenditures of one thousand dollars ($1,000) or more or authorized another person or campaign committee to receive or solicit contributions or make expenditures of one thousand dollars ($1,000) or more for the purpose of seeking election to the office. The City Clerk shall issue an approved nominating petition only to the person seeking to be on the ballot. Such approved nominating petition forms shall state the name of the person and the City office for which such person is petitioning to qualify to be on the ballot. People who have sought to be on the ballot as described above, but who do not qualify for the ballot or do not file a declaration of candidacy are required to file as provided in this section by 5:00 p.m. on the second Monday in May, a report of all expenditures made and contributions received on or before the first Monday in May and not previously reported and to file a final report by 5:00 p.m. on the second Monday in November, a report of all expenditures made and contributions received on or before the first Monday in November and not previously reported.
E. Within 48 hours of the receipt of a statement listing campaign contributors, or as soon thereafter as reasonably possible, the Purchasing Office shall determine if any contributor has business dealings with the City. For the purposes of this section, a person is deemed to have business dealings if the person or in the case of an individual, the contributor's principal business or the contributor's employer has received $20,000 or more pursuant to a contract with the City in the 24 months prior to the date of contribution. The Purchasing Office shall immediately notify the City Clerk of any campaign contributors who have business dealings with the City and the City Clerk shall post that information (including: contribution amount, recipient and business relationship) on the City's website.
F. The Purchasing Office shall maintain a list of all contributors to the campaign of any elected Mayor or Councilor and, for a period of one and one-half years following the election of that Official, shall notify the City Clerk of any campaign contributors who form business dealings with the City, as defined in the preceding paragraph, and the City Clerk shall post that information (including: contribution amount, recipient and business relationship) on the City's website.
G. In addition to other campaign disclosure requirements of the Election Code, a candidate shall designate in his or her disclosure reports those contributors who have contracts pursuant to which they receive funds from the employer of the candidate if the candidate was solely or partially responsible for the recommendation or award of the contract or for the administration of the contract. The City Clerk shall post this designation separately from the other contributions on the City's website.
2. The statements required by this subsection shall be filed as follows:
A. Except as otherwise provided in this section, a reporting individual shall file with the City Clerk by 5:00 p.m. on the second Monday in May and November a report of all expenditures made and contributions received on or before the first Monday in those months and not previously reported. The report shall be filed biannually until the reporting individual's bank account has been closed and the other provisions specified in Subsection F of this section have been satisfied.
B. In an election year, instead of the biannual reports provided for in Subsection A of this section, reporting individuals, except for public officials who are not candidates in an election that year, shall file reports of all expenditures made and contributions received or, if applicable, statements of no activity, according to the following schedule:
(1) by 5:00 p.m. on the second Monday in April, a report of all expenditures made and contributions received on or before the first Monday in April and not previously reported;
(2) by 5:00 p.m. on the second Monday in May, a report of all expenditures made and contributions received on or before the first Monday in May and not previously reported;
(3) by 5:00 p.m. on the second Monday in June, a report of all expenditures made and contributions received on or before the first Monday in June and not previously reported;
(4) by 5:00 p.m. on the second Monday in July, a report of all expenditures made and contributions received on or before the first Monday in July and not previously reported;
(5) by 5:00 p.m. on the second Monday in August, a report of all expenditures made and contributions received on or before the first Monday in August and not previously reported;
(6) by 5:00 p.m. on the second Monday in September, a report of all expenditures made and contributions received on or before the first Monday in September and not previously reported;
(7) beginning on the second Monday in October, by 5:00 p.m. on every Monday thereafter before the regular election candidates shall file a report of all expenditures made and contributions received on or before the previous Friday and not previously reported;
(8) beginning on the Friday before the regular election, any contribution or pledge to contribute that is for five hundred dollars ($500) or more shall be reported to the City Clerk in a supplemental report on a prescribed form within twenty-four hours of receipt;
(9) run-off candidates and Measure Finance Committees shall file statements as follows:
i. beginning on the first Monday following the regular election, by 5:00 p.m. on every Monday before the run-off election candidates shall file a report of all expenditures made and contributions received on or before the previous Friday and not previously reported; and
ii. beginning on the Friday before the run-off election, any contribution or pledge to contribute that is for five hundred dollars ($500) or more shall be reported to the City Clerk in a supplemental report on a prescribed form within twenty-four hours of receipt;
(10) In the event of a special election, reporting individuals, except for public officials who are not candidates in the special election, shall file reports of all expenditures made and contributions received as follows:
i. beginning on the first Monday following the County Clerk's first publication of the special election resolution, by 5:00 p.m. on every Monday before the special election reporting individuals shall file a report of all expenditures made and contributions received on or before the previous Friday and not previously reported; and
ii. beginning on the Friday before the special election, any contribution or pledge to contribute that is for five hundred dollars ($500) or more shall be reported to the City Clerk in a supplemental report on a prescribed form within twenty-four hours of receipt;
(11) by 5:00 p.m. on the thirtieth day after a regular, run-off, or special election, a report of all expenditures made and contributions received on or before the twenty-fifth day after the election and not previously reported.
C. If a candidate or public official has not received any contributions and has not made any expenditures since the candidate's or official's last report was filed with the proper filing officer, the candidate or official shall only be required to file a statement of no activity, which shall not be required to be notarized, in lieu of a full report when that report would otherwise be due and shall not be required to file a full report until the next required filing date occurring after an expenditure is made or a contribution is received.
D. In an election year, a public official who is not a candidate shall file biannual reports of expenditures made and contributions received or statements of no activity in accordance with the schedule provided for in Subsection A of this section.
E. A report of expenditures and contributions filed after a deadline set forth in this section shall not be deemed to have been timely filed.
F. Except for candidates and public officials who file a statement of no activity, each reporting individual shall file a report of expenditures and contributions pursuant to the filing schedules set forth in this section, regardless of whether any expenditures were made or contributions were received during the reporting period. Reports shall be required until the reporting individual delivers a report to the City Clerk stating that:
(1) there are no outstanding campaign debts;
(2) all money has been expended in accordance with the provisions Section 4 of Article XIII, the Election Code; and
(3) the bank account has a zero balance
G. Each treasurer of a Measure Finance Committee shall file a report of expenditures and contributions pursuant to the filing schedules set forth in this section until the treasurer files a report that affirms that the committee has dissolved or no longer exists, and that its bank account has a zero balance.
H. A reporting individual who is a candidate within the meaning of the Election Code because of the amount of contributions the candidate receives or expenditures the candidate makes and who does not ultimately file a declaration of candidacy or a nominating petition with the City Clerk and does not file a statement of no activity shall file biannual reports in accordance with Subsection A of this section.
I. Reports required by this section shall be subscribed and sworn to by the candidate or the treasurer of the Measure Finance Committee. A report filed electronically shall be electronically authenticated by the candidate or the treasurer of the Measure Finance Committee using an electronic signature in conformance with the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act. For the purposes of Article XIII, Section 4, a report that is electronically authenticated in accordance with the provisions of this subsection shall be deemed to have been subscribed and sworn to by the candidate or the treasurer of the political committee who was required to file the report.
J. Reports required by this section shall be filed electronically by all reporting individuals.
K. Reporting individuals may apply to the City Clerk for exemption from electronic filing in case of hardship, which shall be defined by the City Clerk.
(e) Limits to Contributions. No privately financed candidate shall, for any one election, allow total contributions, including in-kind contributions, from any one person with the exception of contributions from the candidate themselves of more than $2,000 for Council Candidates and $6,000 for Mayoral Candidates. Limitations on contributions for publicly financed candidates are detailed in the Open and Ethical Elections Act.
(1) Beginning January 15, 2027, and every two years thereafter, the Clerk shall adjust the contribution limit based on the change in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) as published by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. The adjustment shall reflect the percentage change in the CPI-U from January 1, 2024, to December 31 of the year preceding the adjustment.
(f) Ban on Contributions from City Contractors. No candidate for Mayor or Council, or Official who is a candidate for an office other than Mayor or Council, shall accept a contribution in support of the candidate's campaign from any person or entity, other than a City employee, who at the time of the contribution is in a contractual relationship with the City to provide goods or services to the City. Nor shall any candidate for Mayor or Council, or Official who is a candidate for an office other than Mayor or Council, accept a contribution that is knowingly given on behalf of any person or entity who, at the time of the contribution, is in a contractual relationship with the City to provide goods or services to the City. The remedy for an unknowing violation of this subsection shall be the return of the contribution.
(g) Ban on Contributions from Foreign Nationals. No candidate for Mayor or Council, shall accept a contribution in support of the candidate's campaign from any person or entity from a foreign national without lawful United States permanent residence.
(h) Ban on Contributions from Foreign-Influenced Corporations. No candidate for Mayor or Council, shall accept a contribution in support of the candidate's campaign from any foreign-influenced corporation.
(i) Unexpended Contributions. Any contributions not expended on the campaign shall be disposed of, such that the campaign account is brought to a zero balance, at the option of the candidate or chairperson of a Measure Finance Committee, by one of the following methods:
(1) Retained in the campaign or Measure Finance Committee banking checking account for a possible runoff election for that office,
(2) Returned to the person who made the contribution,
(3) Placed in the City's General Fund, or
(4) Given to a charity identified by the candidate.
The final campaign financing statement shall reflect the final disposition of such contributions.
(j) Anonymous Contributions.
(1) All anonymous contributions shall be disposed of by a candidate or the chairperson of a Measure Finance Committee either by placing the contribution in the City's General Fund or by giving the contribution to a charity.
(2) An anonymous contribution shall not be considered to be a contribution to or expenditure of the campaign; however, a record of all anonymous contributions shall be kept by the candidate or the candidate's treasurer, or by the chairperson or treasurer of the Measure Finance Committee and the receipt and disposition of every anonymous contribution shall be reported in the campaign financing disclosure statements required by subsection (d) of this section are filed. Such report must disclose the goods, services, monies, or other contributions received, its value, the date of receipt and the date and method of disposition.
(k) For the purposes of this section, contributions and expenditures include those contributions received and expenditures made by or on behalf of an individual at any time prior to the individual filing a Declaration of Candidacy for the office of Mayor or Councilor through the time the final campaign financing disclosure statement is due, or by or on behalf of a Measure Finance Committee at any time prior to the relevant election through the time the final campaign financing disclosure statement is due.
(l) Campaign Finance Records.
1. All campaign finance records and statements shall be open to inspection and/or audit by the Board, its designated representative, or its auditor; statements shall be presented to the Board for inspection or audit, or both. The City Clerk shall create an electronic data base for all campaign reporting required in this Election Code and place that information on the City's web site.
2. Campaign Financial Records.
A. Each candidate or the candidate's treasurer and each chairperson or treasurer of a Measure Finance Committee shall keep financial records of the campaign for a period of one year following the date of election, to assure their availability in the event of complaint or inquiry by the Board. Such campaign financial records shall include records of all contributions, regardless of amount, expenditures, canceled checks, invoices, receipts, bank statements, bills of sales, statements of accounts, leases, rental agreements, and all other financial records pertinent to the campaign.
B. ln preparing and maintaining financial records, ledgers, journals, or otherwise, and in recording contributions and expenditures on the statements required by subsection (c) of this section, each candidate or the candidate's treasurer and each chairperson or treasurer of a Measure Finance Committee shall:
1) Record in-kind contributions as both contributions and expenditures equal to the fair market value of the goods or services received.
2) Record campaign loans as contributions, with subsequent repayment of loans credited against contributions.
3) Record returned contributions as credits against contributions.
4) Record names of contributors on the bank deposit slips.
3. During the election cycle, or within one year after the date of the election, the Campaign and Election Auditor, as provided for in Article XIII, Section 9 may request a candidate or committees’ campaign finance records so the Campaign and Election Auditor can perform an additional audit on the campaign or committee. The results of the audit will be submitted to the Board of Ethics and the City Clerk.
(m) Fund-Raising Activity.
a. The gross receipts of a fund-raising activity on behalf of a candidate are considered to be campaign contributions, and all expenditures associated with such a fund-raising activity are considered to be campaign expenditures. As used in this subsection, the term "gross receipts" includes all monies and donations of any kind which are received as part of the fund-raising activity.
b. The host of a fund-raising activity on behalf of a candidate or Committee shall be responsible for reporting the contributions resulting from the activity unless contributors are identified in the required manner on the Disclosure of Campaign Financing Statement, and the limits to contributions specified in subsection (e) of this Section 4 shall apply as if the total contributions at the fund-raising activity, not otherwise reported, were made by the host.
(n) Measure Campaign Financing. Any person or group which has contributed in excess of thirty percent of the Mayor's salary to support or oppose a measure or candidate shall have the name of such person or group inserted into the name of the Measure Campaign Committee to which the funds were contributed or shall create a new committee with the name of the contributor in the committee name. It is the obligation of the Measure Finance Committee to immediately inform the Clerk of the Committee's required name change by forming a new committee with the funds, or updating the committee name with the City Clerk's Office and on the campaign finance website; the Committee shall simultaneously report the amount of the contribution which triggers the name change. For the purposes of this subsection, “Mayor's salary” means the salary paid by the City of Albuquerque as of the date of the contribution; support or oppose a measure or candidate covers qualification for the ballot plus voter approval or disapproval of a given measure.
(Ord. 17-1993; Am. Ord. 32-1999; Am. Ord. 16-2002; Am. Ord. 13-2003; Am. Ord. 34-2006; Amended at Regular Municipal Election, October 2, 2007; Am. Ord. 44-2008; Am. Ord. 2012-033; Am. Ord. 2018-033; Am. Ord. 2019-003; Am. Ord. 2019-030; Am. Ord. 2022-042; Am. Ord. 2024-036)